Code geass- Twilight of the Sands
by gameboy5432
Summary: There where other powers beside Geass. Acient forces long forgotten, of once great kingdoms and Empire that are now nothing but legends. Untill now that is. Lelouch discovers one such powerfull artifact, it awakens the old forces long forgotten, once wielded by a king, now wielded by an exiled prince.
1. Chapter 1-The Broken Sword

Ch 1.

"Did you see the look on his face when you gave him a checkmate? It was hilarious!" Rivalz said and Lelouch replied with a chuckle as the duo rode his motorbike down the highway, it was moments like this that Lelouch tended to forget that he was the though to be dead prince of Britannia and that they where living in occupied Japan.

Fleecing nobles helped, not by much, but it helped, especially financially.

For amongst the money he received, he also got a very old and very strange looking sword handle with what was left of it's broken blade. The sword was a saber that had it's sharpened edge on the interior of all things, it's edge was red but it's core looked like it was composed out of a myriad of bits and pieces of mettle all fused together, it honestly looked like it was a desperate cobble up job, but when he gripped it in his hand, the sword the size of a dagger felt powerful.

Grasping it Lelouch could, against all sense and logic feel it's power, this was once the sword of a great warlord or king, now all that was left of it was it's broken remains.

"You once reigned over all, now your are broken, but...but one day you can be reforged and be great once more." Lelouch said to the valuable antique that was now nothing more that the discarded trash of an empire, considered useless now by it's home country, just like him, but just like the broken sword he would reforge himself one day and gain his revenge.

He gripped it as he reminded himself of his vow against Britannia.

That had been hours ago, now he found himself trapped in Shinjuku ghetto, face to face with the container of a poisonous gas belonging to Clovis, the governor of Area 11, as the Empire now called Japan, with an Imperial soldier pinning him to the ground.

"That's enough slaughter for one day!" the soldier said and then and there Lelouch's blood ran cold, for he recognized that voice!

"S-Suzaku!"

"L-Lelouch!"

The soldier took of his helmet and the two friends where now face to face for the first time in years.

One minute everything seemed to have gone to hell, the next he was now embracing one of the few people that was dear to him, the next moment the 'gas' container opened, then the Britannian military appeared.

Lelouch took one glance at the girl, then at the soldiers, finally at Suzaku and himself, he knew that the 'gas' really was a poisonous one if word got out of what the local government was conducting.

" _We need to get out, we need to survive."_ the former prince thought as he, acting on instincts, gripped the sword handle of the ancient blade.

 _"We need a distraction, anything! No fire alarms, no water pipes, what I wouldn't;t give for a great gust of WIND_!"

Lelouch felt something, and then a great blow ravaged the soldier before him knocking them and Suzaku backwards, stunned for a moment, but only for one Lelouch quickly ran and grabbed the downed Suzaku and the strange green haired girl and ran with them away from the pursuing soldiers.

He could still feel that strange sensation that came right before the small hurricane blew in the abandoned warehouse.

After finding a hiding place he could pinpoint that the sensation, which was gradually fading had drained him of some of his stamina, he felt the strange sensation strongest in his right hand, where upon looking he discovered that he it was the one gripping the strange sword.

"What just happened?" Suzaku asked.

"This...this happened, I wished for wind as a distraction, and...and it obeyed, like...like magic!" Lelouch said and showed Suzaku the broken sword.

"What is it?" the Japanese boy asked.

To which Lelouch, half winded grinned and said:

"The sword of a king, once broken, now great again!"

"Would you also like the power of a king?" C.C said from next to them as the Britannian military neared their hiding spot.


	2. Chapter 2- The warlord and the fog

Ch 2- The fog and the warlord.

Lelouch opened his mouth to reply, but the only thing that came out where not words, but a great explosion from above as a stray or perhaps intentional artillery round destroyed the roof of the building and darkness was all he knew.

He gingerly opened his eyes to take in his surrounding, how long had passed? Hours? Minutes? Moments? Days? He knew not, all he did see was Suzaku above him who had shielded him from the debries.

"You ok?"

"Me? Your the one who's covered in rubble!"

"Well unlike you Britannians, we are not weak, we Japa- I mean we 11-"

"Suzaku, you don't have to pretend with me." Lelouch said and the two friends shared a bitter sweet smile, before they crawled away from the downed building.

"Where's that green haired woman?"

"Either dead or she's escaped,regardless she's better off than we are now." Lelouch replied as they continued to crawl, skip and sneak across the battlefield.

" Who was she anyway? " Suzuki asked as they entered an apartment building.

" Mk ultra patient, Project Monarch tester, Manchurian agent, survivor of lethal biotech testing, take your pick, either way she is one big secret that can shake up the status quo."

" What makes you say that?" Suzuki asked as he trained his gun as they rounded a corner, and he almost puked at what they saw.

" When this the length that Clovis is willing to go to, there's no doubt in my mind."

Lelouch said grimly as they both looked at the horrible scene before them.

It was the corpses of whole families shot to death like rabbit dogs, the corridor was full of them.

"We have to stop this."

" No doubt there." Lelouch said as he gripped the broken sword in his hand.

He closed his eyes and concentrated, the spell he imagined worked, but it also drained him of a great deal of his strength.

" Suzaku, I have an ideea, but I'm not strong enough to do it myself, you'll have do to it and a little something more. But...but...I'm not sure you... That you're string enough..."

Suzaku gripped Lelouch's shoulder, stopping his friends babbling.

" If it saves lives that that's all that matters, I'm a soldier now Lelouch, dying for civies is in the job description. " Suzaku said with a reassuring smile.

" Tch...Japanese meathead. "

" Britannian bastard. "

The two friend said to each other. Hugged and then set Lelouch's plan into action.

Jeremiah.

" Base this is Blue Leader 1, there's a thick fog dropping in, and I am switching to infrared. " Jeremiah said and immediately he was blinded by sheer white.

" Base this is Jeremiah the infrared isn't working! I'm seeing all white, switching to heat seeker." Jeremiah added and once more he could see nothing.

" What the bloody he'll..." The Purist leader swore and opened his cockpit hatch to take a look, but he immediately closed it back.

He immediately fell down in his seat in pain and coffing.

For it wasn't fog. It was steam and ash.

" Base this is Blue leader, halt all advances, a damn volcano is erupting straight under the ghetto all forces pull back!"

Jeremiah said and gave orders to his knightmare to move, it differ a few minutes before jamming itself.

" Shit! The ash got inside the joints! "

"All units fallback, abandon frames and vehicles after you initiate disable protocol."

" What are you doing Gotwald? "

" Your highnes, the heavies have been clogged down by ash and dust, these things where designed against human foes, not mother nature. We're sitting ducks here like this."

" I gave you an order! Destroy Shinjuku and recover the gass!"

Jeremiah became frozen in place then and there as shock and horror came to his features.

" All units retreat with masks on, the gass has been released! I repeat, the gass has been leaked. Your highness you can court martial me latter, but I'll not lead my men any further, we are soldiers, we die by bullets, the enemy of the firing squad,but not like this."

Jeremiah replied as he pulled the ejection lever for the cockpit.

It too was jammed, he cursed again put on his gass mask and opened the hatch.

Rooftop of Shinjuku.

Lelouch smiled as he could see infantry and dismounted pilots making their way back to the Imperial lines.

Around the getho a great ring of ash and steam was where the Brittannian army had surrounded the ghetto, curtosy of the sword.

" The army thinks it was some kind of weapon instead of the green haired girl. So naturally they'd retreat, the only thing an army fears more than a foe is an allied untested weapon.. "

" No one wants to be a guinea pig. " Suzaku said from behind him.

He was holding the sword, he being the one who cast the ring of ash and steam spell around the district.

Lelouch looked at his friend who seemed to not be bothered by the strain at all.

The simple puff of wind a room deep had drained Lelouch, this more complicated one that encompassed an area big enough to be considered a small city in itself barely affected Suzaku.

The former Prince grinned at that as he gazed at the many abandoned frames, tanks, apc and artillery pieces in the ghetto.

" So what now Lelouch? "

"Now? Now we play Nobunaga and Okehazama.


	3. Ch 3- Raise noise in the east

Ch 3- Raise noise in the east, so as to strike in the west.

Suzaku.

He was back inside the Imperial lines, all around him soldiers where regrouping, , for where being looked at by medics, but all of them where doing so on their bellies or as hunch down as they could , beyond the ring of ash and steam the sounds of sniper fire could be heard.

This was all part of Lelouch's plan. And Suzaku tightened his fists as he patiently for Lelouch to finish his part, so he could do his.

"Excuse me"

Suzaku turned his head and saw a man in a labcoat accompanied by a lady with blue hair behind him.

"Ma'am! He quickly saluted the woman who was clearly a junior grade officer."

"None of that private, I want to talk to you about something. You know that most of the heavy equipment has been abandoned inside the area, right?" The woman called Cecile said to him.

"Yes ma'am."

"Well, we are putting together a rescue operation for them, our nightmare frame can go trough the fog that seems to be wrecking them and we would like you to pilot it."

Suzaku was stunned at that, he had heard rumors of a next generation of frames that where as big of a leap as jets where to propeller fighters, but to have him do it? That and he couldn't just abandon Lelouch, his part of the plan was critical.

"Ma'am, I am honored, but why me? I am a Honourable Brittannian, not a full citizen ma'am, we are forbidden from piloting frames." Suzaku said, quickly using his wits.

"You are?" Cecile said surprised, it was one of the oddities of the Empire's system, it wasn't a racist, but rather a nationalist type of discrimination, if you where a citizen no one cared what you do, if you weren't no one cared about you, not exactly good, just a different kind of bad.

"Well ya see the thing is...well..." the woman struggled for words.

"We asked every other pilot and they all said no, we also asked every other infantryman and they all said no, we also asked most of the Honorary Britannian auxiliaries and they all said no, honestly you are our last resort."

"Lloyd-san! You are being rude!" Cecile chastised the scientist who shrugged non-chalantly.

Suzaku discovered severa; tidbits of information with that, the most important was that 1, they didn't have direct authority over him, so they couldn't order him, 2 the mission was absurd enough that he could refuse and 3 the two where clearly influential within the military, judging by their behavior and unique pin ranks.

"I would accept the mission if it meant permanent rank of knightmare pilot and be given full citizenship upgrade from honorary status upon completion." Suzaku said, making sure to ad a chuckle to make it sound like he was joking, which he was, there was no way that.

"Donne, now come this way! Wait until you get a load of the Lancelot!" Lloyd said excitedly as he pushed the young man from behind, an exasperated Cecile shacking her head from behind and a very worried Japanese boy who just ditched his best friend to go play with a mecha. He quickly gave a discrete morse code to a comm that he shared only with Lelouch, giving him a signal that he couldn't act for now, but would as soon as he could.

"All units, this is the governor Prince Clovis, all units we are ordering a ceasefire, give aide to the injured, Britannian and numbers alike and standby."

Suzaku heard that and started marching/half running towards where Lloyd was pushing him.

"Come on Lloyd-san, there's big robots with no owners there for the tacking! Chop! Chop!" He bellowed, to an excited Lloyd who joined him and Cecile who muttered 'men and their toys' under her breath, all the while praying Lelouch could last enough for him to return.

Clovis.

It all went down so fast and so sudden that Clovis wasn't really sure what was happening.

One moment he was recovering the green haired witch, the next moment his room was flooded by an odd type of mist that had killed all of his staff officers, except him, the mist had stopped to about 2 meters around his person as he looked at the man responsible for it all.

"So what now? You'll make me sing and dance? Or perhaps a chest game?" He asked the man standing inside the poisoned mist who was pointing a gun at his person, his face was covered by an Imperial helmet and gass mask, the uniform he was wearing was also a military one, but you could see it was a bit to big for him and it had gunshot holes and blood on it.

"So you swiped the uniform off one of my soldiers and used the chaos from whatever kind of weapon you have to infiltrate my command center, you are good I'll give you that, so who do you work for E.U, China, or one of the neutral countries?"

Clovis asked the silent man in the mist as his radio beeped a few times, the man's frame became more tense after that, he tapped a few commands into the center's computer and then gestured for Clovis to walk to a nearby terminal, there he saw that it was asking for a password in order to get permission for an action. His password.

"I don't suppose I can bribe you into not doing this?" Clovis said as he slowly started to type his password.

"Is it for the genocide? Or the human experimentation, the reason your here that is."

The man in the mist continued to remain silent.

"For God's sake man, at least say something, you are about to rob and kill me, some courtesy and class won't cost you nothing, especially since it's my money you'll be paying with!" Clovis said angrily at the silent one, who just gestured with his gun to the terminal once more.

Clovis gave a defeated sigh, and entered the final letter of his password FAMILY.

He hit entered and he saw how a half a hundred bank transactions windows activated and how several files where copied into a USB.

The man in the mist then pointed his gun at Clovis and gestured with it for him to turn around.

"B-before that could you, could you please let me take out what's inside my pocked, it's just a picture but it is dear to me."

The man in the mist gestured with his head to one of the screens that was showing a list of standing orders, one of them was his order to kill everyone in Shinjuku.

"Fair enough." Clovis said as single tear rolled down his eye and he got down on his knees, his strength leaving him as the man in the mist moved behind him.

Clovis could hear the sound of the pistol being cocked.

He gripped his hands together in pray as he uttered his final words.

"Lelouch...Nunnally...big brother's coming to see you now." Clovis said and closed his eyes.

But nothing came.

A moment passed, then two, then three and Clovis was certain he was not in heaven or hell, since neither of them had his exquisite sense of taste that he used to decorate his command center, realizing that he was still in the land of the living he slowly turned his head to the man in the mist and realized that something was different now.

His frame seemed less certain, the bearing of his head conflicted and his gun hand! His gun hand was trembling!

Clovis was shocked at what he was seeing, a moment ago this one was ready to kill him, but now he-

The prince's train of thought was interrupted by a blow to his head from the but of the gun. The man in the mist decided not to kill him today, as he lost consciousness the last thing Clovis felt was his shirt pocked being picked.

Lelouch.

He gave out to silent curses as he searched Clovis and found the picture he requested, and it was just what he feared, it was a picture of them at Nunnally's birthday party, the last one before Aries Villa had been attacked. Lelouch clenched his fist in rage at what he considered to be a failed operation. It was what he promised Suzaku he'd do, but he lied, and he had wanted to kill Clovis, to kill his half brother, he carried the blood of that man, he believed in what the Empire stood for, and that was why after he uttered their names he couldn't kill him.

Killing monsters was easy, killing men...

"Looks like today I won't be getting the world...at least for now." He muttered as he made his way outside the command center.

He peaked in the creak of the last door that lead outside, expecting guards and waiting for Suzaku to be able to create a distraction, when all of sudden from the poisoned ring that surrounded Shunjuku he saw white!

A great white nightmare was dragging another one over his shoulder from inside the mist, outside to safety.

Lelouch looked at where the frames was taking it and noticed that it was full of dozens upon dozens of frames, tanks and artillery.

The white knight placed the frame down, much to the cheer of the Imperial troops.

"Lancelot! Lancelot!" he heard them chanting as the knightmare went back inside the mist.

A knightmare that was clearly superior technology and could be a thorn in his plans.

"This could be problem." Lelouch said as he exited the center, the guards where to busy watching the frame to notice another trooper walking right behind them.

Lelouch tapped in code to Suzaku, asking him what intell he had on the white frame.

'That's me, I volunteered in exchange for a promotion and full citizenship, sorry didn't think they would say yes.'

 _Well...that avoids a huge amount of conflict._

'Continue with heavy armor and frame recovery, leave the north untouched, I see an opportunity here.' Lelouch replied in code.

'Roger, I can guess what you want with those heavies, I don't like it, but I'll give you a chance to explain first.' Suzaku replied and the conversation ended.

Lelouch gave out a breath of exhaustion as he used the radio to surf the channels until he finally found the one the rebels where using.

"Hello...let' call you Q1."

"Who is this?" the voice of a young woman replied.

"Oh, nobody. Just someone with a gift..." Lelouch said and started giving orders, as he did so he noticed that he was now outside the Imperial army's perimeter, after a few orders and arguments and half shouting into his radio he got the terrorists to finally obey like the pawns they where and out of sheer boredom as he started to wait for Suzaku to be done he brought out his cellphone and surfed the webb for clues as to the broken sword that was in his position.

He also sat down since the mist inside the command center had drained what precious stamina he had left.

The sword was covered in many runes which he couldn't decipher, but there where several murals on it that he could at least do a simple search on it.

The most common symbol was that of a creature with a serpents body and wolf's head.

There wasn't much to go by, but the top search produced a result, a single word describing to whom the flag belongs to.

"Zamolxes."


	4. Ch 4- The brewing storm

Ch 4- The brewing storm.

The old man in the red vest.

Kenneth gave out an exhale of exhaustion, as outside the sky began to darken, it had been a busy day at his gunshop, selling to Britannians, to Japanese rebels, drug cartels, law enforcement, foregin mercenaries, homegrown ones, it had been good for business, but it was also very exhausting and he wasn't a young man anymore, really now, couldn't today's generation give a few thoughts to their elders before going off to murder each other senselessly?

The chiming of a bell told that a new customer had entered his shop. Kenneth raised his gaze and saw that it was a dark haired young man. It looked like the youth of today would continue to make his life more difficult.

"Good day young sir, how may I help you?"

"I was told that this item came from your shop." Lelouch said and showed him the sword.

"Ah yes! I don't usually handle such transactions but sometimes merchants come to me for these to sell on the market."

"Why is that?"

"If you buy guns from my shop, you are rich enough for antiques. What can I help you with young ser?"

"I searched everywhere for information on this artifact, all I found was a name, Zamolxes."

"Ah yes! The supreme God of the sky, of thunder, rain and the storm! He was an ancient and powerful deity of Eastern Europe, particularly worshiped by the Thracian-Dacian tribes."

"What can you tell me about him?"

"Not much I'm afraid, most of the records regarding him where destroyed by the romans."

"Why?"

"The cult of Zamolxes believed that death was not to be feared but rather the next step of ones journey, and that if you died young or in battle you would be forever young in the afterlife and be given a higher place at Zamolxe's table, kind of like the norse religions, as you can imagine this created whole civilizations whose armies did not fear death and that made them feared foes of Rome, that was enough for them to destroy the cult and whatever they left behind."

"So, this was enough to topple an empire." Lelouch said as he caressed the snake/wolf rune on the sword, a chuckle escaped his lips.

"What else?"

"Well, legends says that Zamolxes was a man that ascended to Godhood, but like I said not much if left, Empires don't like leaving any trace of those that can challenge their might, it might give future foes the means to succeed where those before failed."

The old man said, and to that Lelouch gave a smile, a very big, very beautiful and very terrifying smile as he leaned forward, making the elder gentleman uncomfortable.

"Tell me more." the demon said to the man in the red vest as outside the sound of thunder was heard in the distance.

Clovis.

He was back in the mainland, the was in Pendragon and was surrounded by his siblings, he often found these times to be some of the happiest moments in his life, but not today.

"I can't believe you would accuse me of stealing from you brother!" Guinevere, his eldest sister said in outrage.

"Guinevere you did steal from me before!" Clovis said in bored tone.

"It wasn't me this time!"

"This time?" Clovis said with a raised eyebrow making Guinevere realize her mistake, her eyes going wide in shock and embarrassment as from next to her Carine giggled at her sister's predicament, Euphemia and Cornelia( who was on a tv screen, since she was still campaigning in the middle east) shared a knowing glance, Odysseus rubbed his head in exasperation and Schneizell smiled in good humor to his siblings bickering.

"To be fair the stolen money was traced in several of your accounts Guiney, though some where also in mine and in Nelly and Euphie's accounts and so on and so forth, so looks like we are all guilty! Time for punishment then! I volunteer as firing squad captain!" Carine said with a cutesy tone and smile.

"Enough of that Cary, look why don't we just give the money back, it's not like 2 billion is that big of a loss for us." Odysseus said trying to end this as quick as possible.

"I agree, but what I want to know is who did it, so I can lecture him or her on efficiency! I can stand thieving and backstabbing, but I put my foot down when it comes to incompetence! When you do a crime, don't get caught!" Cornelia said in the same tone that a school teacher used on a pupil with bad grades and from then on the accusations started flying.

Whatever semblance of normality was gone as the room erupted into a cacophony of shouts and noises and clapping.

A slow and measured clap that came from Schneizell, one that eventually made the noise in the room fade until there was nothing but silence and the sound of his hands as the Second Prince of the Empire got up from his chair and made his way to a computer screen.

"This is what he wants, for us to fight amongst ourselves." Schneizell said as he started typing.

"He?" Euphemia asked.

"Yes dear siblings, it's all a simple process of elimination. First of whoever is responsible is nor from the E.U or China, if they had been they wouldn't have intervened during Clovis purge of Shinjuku, the bad press from that would have benefited them." Schneizell said and gave a scolding look, though one still with a smile on his lips, to Clovis, who pouted at it and turned away as the Second Prince and Imperial Prime Minister typed away at the screen.

"So what we know of our guilty party: 1. He is a Britannian dissident, that much is clear from his actions.

2\. He is very resourceful, his stealing of our secret files and the money theft proves that."

The second prince paused.

"During the theft of the 2 billion pounds, he made several transactions to millions of accounts, each one of them made many their stocks rise for a short period of time considerably, during which time we verified selling and buying of these stocks in that same short period, after that the money reached our accounts, we estimate that the whoever was in charge now had a financial capability of 20 to 300 million pounds and it's impossible to verify which of the stock exchanges where his." the Prime Minister continued typing.

"So 3. He has been planning this a long time. Such a network of business and allies would take years to make."

"4. He really hates the Imperial family, that much was certain when he almost killed you Clovis. But when he didn't that leads us to 5. He has some attachment to us, that made him hesitate. Could you tell us anymore about him Clovis?"

The third Prince though about that, but honestly the assassination attempt had slipped his mind. This was the royal family after all, so things like that you became desensitized after a while.

"Well...I was sure that I was gonna dye, but then he just stopped and the weirdest thing was that his hand was trembling."

"Did you do anything that might have affected him?" Euphemia asked in concern, whether it was for the perpetrator of her brother she did not say, but Clovis was certain that it was for them both, which made him smile, Euphy really did have a good heart.

No, nothing...Wait...There was one thing, I asked him to let me look at a picture before he would execute me, he refused so I just called out their names before I though I was gonna dye."

"Their names?" Carina asked.

"You know... their names."

To that the rest of the room was confused for a moment, until realization struck them.

"Their names then, I guess we have our answer then." Schneizell said, his eyes now tinted with pain and regret as he placed an 'equals' symbols after all his pointers and then typed the answer.

'Lelouch is alive.'

The whole room went silent as they gazed in shock at the screen.

"He's alive! That's wonderful!" Clovis said in earnest joy as he looked at the screen.

"I'm surprised at you brother, Lelouch almost killed you!" Guinevere said, which did tempered Clovi's joy, but not by much.

"He's still our brother though, but are you sure about this Schneizell?"

"Yes, it all fits with his style. When we played chess, Lelouch would always wait until he could spring a trap, then withdraw leaving no opening or trace behind. I was uncertain of it, but now when you told me how and why he didn't kill you it's clear that it's him. He's breathing, he's in Japan and he's out for blood."

"Out for blood?" Euphie said in shock.

" Lady Marianne's death...he...he might think we where all involved in it. The way father send him into exile with Nunnally , and how they where left there during the invasion...if only he survived...if Nunnally's dead, then...then he wants us all dead." Cornelia said as the gravitas of the situation dawned on her first.

"He wants the whole Empire dead. If this was all a grab for power or revenge then he would have setup base in Pendragon, the capitol. The only reason he's in Area 11 is that he want a foreign army and country to destroy the Empire with."

"You can't be serious Schneizell, this is Lelouch we are talking about! He's our brother for God's sake!" Odysseus said and rose up in shock and outrage.

"His mother was treated with scorn by the aristocracy, even by father's other wives, he then lost her, then was sent as a hostage to a country that we invaded, and if Nunnally also died...then...then I can understand why he would want to burn the Empire to the ground." Euphemia said, her voice downtrodden, her face grieving.

Before anyone else could reply she got up from her seat and strode right up to Schneizell and Clovis.

"Brother, let me go to Area...I mean to Japan!"

"Japan! Euphy you can't be serious!"

"I am very serious sister Cornelia. Let me talk to him, we where always close as children, maybe I can reason with him, reach that small part that's still our brother, there is still hope, he sparred you brother Clovis, so there is a chance. I have to try! Please...we lost him and Nunnally once before, this time we have a chance to get him back...I just can't not try...please..." Euphemia said as tears formed in her eyes.

"Go ahead, but if you do then you are taking my place as governor and in exchange I want an ambassadorship in the E.U or China." Clovis said to Euphy who hugged him in joy.

"Running away brother? What's the matter? Afraid of little Lulu?" Carina teased him.

"Yes, I'm afraid of him!" Clovis immediately shot back, surprising Carina, who hadn't expected him to reply like that. The third prince pried Euphy of himself and started walking towards the door.

"Back in Shinjuku I had the whole city garrison with me, and yet he smashed trough it like it was nothing, he unleashed that strange toxin, which wasn't my property, he then made his way trough all of my security, stole my secrets, our fortunes and had us at each other's throats and the only reason he didn't kill me was luck! You hear me? If I hadn't said his name I would be a corpse, that was the vide that I got from him. So yes dear sister I am afraid of him! And you all should be too! You said it yourself Schneizell, his style if to spring traps on us, well he's started one and we are his target. Maybe he still holds Euphie dear, and maybe he still holds you all dear, but after feeling his gun at my neck, I know where I stand with him, at least for now. So I am putting two continents and an ocean between him and myself! For I would rather face the devils of Europe or China than face Lelouch."

Clovis said and left the room, as he did so he knocked down the remote to a tv, once it hit the ground it started the screen, which was showing a weather news forecast.

...We predict that a great storm is building that will affect the entirety of the area and the mainland...

Lelouch.

He trained his eyes on the object before him, it was a metallic disk encased in the same runes and symbols that the broken sword had. The guns merchant had given it to him, the one he received it from had said that to sell it to the one that would return with the sword, that was his only condition upon giving the strange disk to the seller.

Lelouch looked it up and down, left and right and found that none of it seemed like it was out of the ordinary.

Outside the sound of thunder accompanied him as he made his way trough Ashford Academy to where he and his sister where housed.

"What are your secret little thing? The sword also has secret he muttered to himself as he traced his left thumb hardly over the pommel of the broken blade, which immediately jerked to the right for a second.

This stopped Lelouch in his tracks just as he was about to pen the doors to his living room.

Lelouch quickly pocketed the disk and took out the sword, he gingerly grabbed the pommel and twisted it to the side. It moved!

He continued to twist until the pommel unscrewed itself and once out he saw that inside it was a strange cable, one end had a rectangular shape, the other one was similar but smaller, inside the handle part of where the pommel had been screwed on where also to holes, each one made for the size of the rectangular heads of the cable.

Lelouch grabbed the disk back from his pocket and looked at it once more, there was a small rectangular hole in it's side.

Gulping down his anxiety and taking a breath of courage he inserted the smaller tip inside the disk's hole, it fitted perfectly, he then took the other end and held it before the bigger hole inside the sword handle.

They both seem to be made for this, but to what purpose?

Would it reveal the secrets of the disk?

Was the disk in fact a trap? A sort of mine that triggered when you connected it like this, to keep the weapon out of the hands of others? Or perhaps the two would be incompatible and would damage beyond function the sword or the disk or perhaps both.

The responsible thing to do would be to postpone this for a latter time.

But Lelouch, despite his intelligence was still merely mortal and whatever was above him liked to toy with mere mortals.

So there and then Sayoko opened the door, so as to refill the teapot with water, before realizing Lelouch was in front of her.

"Welcome back Lelouch-sama."

"Welcome back big brother! The three of us have been waiting for you!" Nunnally said from inside.

"3? Is Shirleyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!" Lelouch half screeched as the shock of what he saw next to Nunnally made him connect the sword and the disk.

The disk came to life, and it wasn't a disk at all, it's top became ablaze with light as a single arrow came on it, then it was followed by a pulsing dot right on top of the arrow as blue lines formed all around it. Lelouch looked at the now alive disk and recognized the blue lines as the shape of Ashford academy, the arrow must indicate the disk's location and the pulsing dot, well...only the sword was related to the disk. And after that he saw how on the edge of the screen where other pulsing dots all around him.

As the implication that there where more artifacts to be found hit Lelouch, C.C raised her head from the table from where they where having tea and looked at him.

"About time you got to this point." she said as a lighting bold struck just outside the window behind her.

The storm had come at last.

Sword of Akasha.

"Something has disturbed Akasha." The Emperor said to his two companies who where both members of the geass cult.

"Has there been a new geass user created?" one of them asked.

"No...this isn't geass, it's something else, something... something dangerous enough that they made an alarm system for it. Something that even Code users feared." Charles replied and looked grimly at the monitor that was now alive with red lights, before gazing upwards to the central collective conscious of the entire human race.

As high above that, in a realm beyond time and space, between existence and nothingness, far removed from heaven and hell, yet at the same time as close to all those mentioned before a such a thing is possible, a land of both beauty and ugliness, of both salvation and damnation, a land that cannot be found if looked for, yet you enter and leave it at least once a day, traversing it being impossible with effort, but easy with rest.

In this place, where ancient creatures called the Amurg live, the one called Deux looks down at the happenings in the mortal realm and smiles as he takes out a black book at starts writing on it.

 **"Now the fun begins."**


	5. Ch 5- The diamonds in the rust

Ch 5- The diamonds in the rust.

Suzaku.

"And then she just went to sleep in my bed, didn't answer a single question I asked, didn't even acknowledged that I was present, she just walked past me and straight to my bed." Lelouch said to Suzaku.

The two where meeting in a small café in the center of the Britannian Concession, catching up on what happened up to this point and to discuss their next move.

"Sounds rough."

"Tell me about it, that green haired witch is only been with me for less than three days and already my life's been less stressful without her!"

"You think she's a real witch, I mean you know considering..." Suzaku said and gestured with his chin to the sword and disk on the table.

"Don't know, it's possible, but if she is then her magic power if pizza summoning, bruschetta brewing and calzone conjuring, she must be on the best customer list of half the pizza parlors in the Tokyo, the coffee we're having, it's free from the consumer points she gathered this far! But enough about my personal grass colored annoyance, how's life as a full citizen?"

"Well unless I let them know that I'm Japanese I don't have much trouble with other people, but when they do...let's just say that I can recognize 'Back to your ghetto eleven' from a distance by now."

"That's why I asked you hear Suzaku...all of this, it's rotten to the core, everything has to go, and I'll destroy it with my own two hands, and I want you to join me."

"Lelouch, I agree that change is needed, but if you are suggesting insurrection or rebellion I won't be part of it, I will not be responsible for another war like the invasion years ago, I want to do it the right way, the legal way, without violence."

"I had a feeling you'd say that, I guess this is the point where I one way and you go the other." Lelouch said and to that Suzaku lowered his gaze and clenched his fist in regret, life always had a surprise for him.

"But what if there was a third path." Lelouch said and Suzaku raised his gaze back in surprise.

"What?"

"I'm saying a third path! Tell me, something, before this century why was Europe able to conquer China, Afriaca and the middle east?"

"Well, they had a technological advantage."

"Exactly! An advantage! And so is this!" Lelouch said and gestured to the sword.

"Suzaku, things like the cotton gin, the steam engine, gunpowder, modern medicine changed the world and gave their owners power over all. and not just political power, but financial power as well, this, whatever this is, I searched for it in the data that I stole from Clovis and nothing! Not a single scrap of data on it, the only thing I found was it being mentioned in something called 'Akasha', but in the rest, zero, zilch!And...this disk is some kind of radar that can detect other artifacts like it! Do you know what this means?"

"It means...it means that if one could get enough of it, then..." Suzaku stopped as the potential wonder and horror of what could be unleashed dawned on him. "Lelouch...you are not suggesting we carve out a new world using magic?"

"No... I am suggesting be buy a new world using magic!"

That confused the Japanese boy as a strange glimmer of genius and madness appeared in the face of his friend.

"What?"

"Think about it! Any military needs an industrial support, and if this sword exist in such an intact form, that maybe there is also there are survivors of the economic magical...I don't know, magical things that sustained the military of whatever ancient device this is! If we can get it, then we can become the new-"

"The new economic major players here. And with the money comes power and if we get enough money, then...we could...we could...But Lelouch are you sure? Are you sure that something like that exists?"  
A thumb was heard from the table bellow his gaze, he turned his eyes and saw hand held recorder with a playback screen.

"You think I'd go on a wild goose chase before checking if what if found was real?" Lelouch said and gestured for Suzaku to look at what was on the camera.

The Japanese boy picked it up, hit playback and what he saw made his eyes bulge out.

"J...just how big-"

"Why do you think it took me three days after the witch arrived for me to contact you."

"You've been busy." Suzaku said with a chuckle.

"So I have, and what about you? Want to get in on this?"

"Get it? What can I say Lelouch, other than let's get our Al Capone on and do this!"

"Al Capone? You, mister squeaky clean deciding to become a gangster! Suzaku! I am shocked!" Lelouch teased him good naturedly.

"I'm an idealistic idiot my friend, not a moron, if what you showed me is just one of the forgotten artifacts then even though what we could do with it is not illegal, it will make us criminals in the eyes of the rich and powerful, so if they call us villains, then let us be the villains, we aren't doing this for the ones at the top, it's the ones at the bottom that we're gonna do this for! I say to hell and back!" Suzaku said and raised his coffee cup.

"And show it no mercy!" Lelouch answered and the knight and the demon both toasted and drank their coffee.

Life after all always did the unexpected.

Kallen.

They where all shivering as they waited for the mysterious voice that had helped them in Shinjuku to make his appearance. The train they where on was going at top speed and the windows where opened making for a very cold, very uncomfortable ride.

"Apologies about the circumstances, but it was the only way for the train to be evacuated in due time." a voice from the end of the hall said and they all walked towards it, there a man in the shadows was present, he wore a long flowing cape and his face was covered by a strange mask with 3 horns on his head.

"You're the one from Shinjuku?" Ohgi asked the one in the shadows.

"Yes. And these are my two companions."

Zero said and from the shadows they came.

"Hello my name is Lelouch and this is Suzaku."

Life truly, TRULY was full of surprises.


	6. Ch 6- Silver or lead

Ch 6- Silver or lead.

Kallen.

"What the hell! That's a stinking Britannian next to you, what are you doing next to that son of a bitch!" Tamaki bellowed out and pointed at Lelouch, as Kallen was processing the name with the face.

"What about her?" Lelouch asked, unfazed by the comment and gestured at the red haired girl.

"Well she's...so anyway what did you want to talk about?" Tamaki said dodging the issue as the rest of the group started fidgeting a bit in embarrassment.

"Why does she get a pass and not me? You think Japan is the only place that horror has been unleashed, you think that you are the only people subjected to the Empire's cruelty?" Lelouch pressed on the attack, making the group back down and Suzaku roll his eyes at Lelouch's antics, really now, his friend couldn't go a minute without hamming it up, he really should consider becoming an actor at one point.

"L-Lelouch, are you by any change Lelouch Lamperouge?" Kallen asked, drawing the eyes of all those present upon her.

"You heard of me?" Lelouch asked wearingly and mentally prepared several of his contingency plans if this meeting went sour.

"Yeah, I heard your name on the student body council list at Ashford."

"Wait a minute, are you telling me you go to school with this guy Kallen?" Tamaki asked.

"I suppose we do." Lelouch said, holding back the fact that he already knew of that going into this meeting, he liked to be prepared for any situation.

"Two rebels from the same school? Damn! The Empire's education system really is shit!" Tamaki said and gave a laugh that only he participated.

"My question is simple, what is your final objective?" the one called Zero said to them, bringing them back to the subject at hand.

"To fight Britannian of course! They took so much from us that, to much from us, we will fight them to the bitter end!" Ohgi said, with as much strength and conviction as he could muster in his voice. It wasn't much coming from him.

"Fight? I though you wanted to win." Zero deadpanned.

"Win? Win against the Empire? T-that's impossible, no matter how many troops we ambush or bases we attack they always come back, they always bring reinforcements!" Tamaki said, for once actually contributing to the conversation.

"And as long as you strike at the snake's tail it will continue to grow back, and they want you to do that. Fight a losing battle, strike where they are strongest, or worse strike at civilians and only give them a pretext to use to wage war against you all. If you want to kill the beats you must attack it's head, lob it off it's shoulders and have it's body die." Zero replied.

"But...what possible target are you talking about?" Yoshida asked, confused and a bit awed at the statement.

"It would be easier if showed you, we are doing a strike tonight, if you want you can come, we do need the extra muscle." Lelouch said to them.

"T-tonight? Wait a minute! The equipment we managed to pilfer from Shinjuku is miles away from here, we won't be able to make it ready so soon!" Ohgi said to them, shocked at what he was hearing.

The trains topped there and then and the doors opened.

"We don't need that, we already have something far more useful that knightmares and tanks, come along now, night is falling and we have work to do, all those of you that want victory follow me, those that do not, stay here and witness us as we earn victory." Zero said and debarked the train with Suzaku and Lelouch.

Several hours latter Kallen was finding herself standing in the court yard of a great factory, with about half a dozen kneeling guards before them, who had their hands on their heads.

They where all wearing black glasses that covered their eyes and hid their identity, Suzaku, the one who had subdued them and beaten them up pretty badly was standing behind them making them all sweat in fear, as Lelouch was grabbing their wallets and photographing them.

"You may not know us, but me all know you, this are gonna be different now in this country, but that doesn't mean it will be bad for you lot." Lelouch said and then took out what looked like to be grenade launcher ammo, but on closer look it was...Kallen was shocked to the core at what she saw, it was wads of hundred pound bills.

He gave each guard what was no doubt several moths fortune, along with their wallets back.

"Anytime you hear about something like this, something big, you contact the numbers written in the inside of the cash bundle, and next time my friend behind you won't be forced to give you so many bruises, do you understand?" Lelouch said and they all nodded.

A couple of minutes latter they where all driving five trucks away from the factory.

Kallen was in the lead truck, along with Lelouch to her right, Suzaku was in the rear truck, Ohgi was driving the third in the center along with Zero who was driving the fourth one.

"So this is the way we are gonna cut off the serpents head? By raiding car part factories?" Kallen said sarcastically.

"Well when those 'car part factories' are the only monopoly of spare parts for Sakuradite extractors for the whole country, yes Kallen, yes it is.

The red haired woman's eyes grew wide in surprise as she gave a momentary glance back at their cargo hold, before returning her gaze back to the road.

"The Sakuradite extractors?"

"Yes Kallen, what we just stole was the key to the entire industry of this country, it will take them time and a lot of money, they will recover, but it will give us time and a reputation, it might not look like much, but we just crippled Britannia in the Pacific for several good months."

"Doesn't feel like we won a major victory."

"And that's why it's a true victory Kallen. War isn't about destroying armies, it's about achieving goals. You think that killing Imperial troops is the only way? Well, that's because the elite want you to thin that, the army is expendable, the infrastructure that sustains it and their power base is not, and believe me the rich and powerful pay a lot of money to downplay the importance of the industrial factor in this all."

"Why didn't we just blow up the factory?"

"What part of essential tool of power didn't you understand Kallen?"

She had the right reaction of blushing in embarrassment at that.

"But why was it so lightly guarded?" Kallen said, suddenly slamming the breaks on the truck.

"It wasn't" Lelouch said as he exited the truck and walked towards the 100 or so knightmares that where blocking the road ahead.

"You are under arrest for treason against the Empire!" The lead knightmare said to him as Lelouch calmly walked towards it, as Kallen, Ohgi trembled in fear behind the wheel and Suzaku merely shook his head in exasperation.

"Are we Colonel Williams?" Lelouch said to the lead frame.

"H-how do you know my name?"

"I know a lot, like how you daughter studies for her fall entrance exams in Massachusetts or how she has a sweetheart that hails form Connecticut on a study scholarship. Or how you Major Allbright have a wife that every norming stops by a corner coffee shop on her way to work, ordering lemon tea and two cinnamon rolls for lunch." Lelouch said to the first and the second frames, making the hulking monstrosities take a step back in shock.

"Or about you Lieutenant Jacobs and that pretty little chocolate skin Brazilian stripper you see each weekend at that little bar in Shibuya, you and Lieutenant Cromwell behind you and Lieutenant Perschey." he said to another group of frames.

Kallen did not believe what she was seeing, she had been running from those hulking monster for years now as they hunted them down like animals, but here and now this boy from the same school as she went too was making them all cower back in fear with nothing but a few words.

But as she got over the shock of what she was seeing, she processed what the black haired young man said and realized, just how dangerous he truly was.

"All of you get out of those frames now and come here before me. Don't make me take out my phone and give a few calls."

Lelouch said, and slowly and methodically the aforementioned officers all abandoned their frames. Each of them was taller and stronger than Lelouch, but they approached the masked young man in fear and terror.

"Here's a present for you all." Lelouch said and handed out a thick envelope folder to the colonel. He opened it and saw that it was full of white notes valuing a thousand pounds, a lot of them.

"W-Who are you?" Colonel Williams said to Lelouch, his face still hidden by the dark glasses.

"Me? Just someone who was discarded long ago, but now I'm back and I want you to listen up and sent a message to all your friends and comrades. You are gonna meet us all again, you don't know us, but we know you, you cannot find us, but we will find you and when we come face to face you all have a choice. Silver or lead! What's your choice Colonel, please tell me, so I can tell your daughter."

"Open formation! Let them trough!" Williams said without a moments hesitation.

 _"This guy must be working for someone very high up if he has all that info! This has to be some kind of black ops related to the Governor or perhaps event he Emperor himself!" Co_ lonel Williams thought to himself as he let the convoy pass, he would never know just how right and wrong he was at the same time, but he knew that whatever happens after this, he made the right call.

Williams would never find out in his lifetime and neither would the rest of the world, but he would be the only one that had confronted the most dangerous man alive and came out without a scratch. But he was just glad his daughter would be safe.

Kallen looked to the boy next to her from the corner of her eyes who was leaning his head back and closing his eyes in rest, what he just did, what she just saw...

"I told you that there's a difference between fighting and winning." Lelouch answered her non-chalantly.

"But how where you able to...I mean how..."

"I'm guessing you spent your recent years fighting against the Empire, well I spent years planning to win against it." Lelouch then opened his eyes and gazed at her.

"A war is won or lost before the first shot is fired. It all comes down to preparations." he added, making the red haired girls take a gulp in fear and a bit of awe at...at...at whatever creature was before her.

"Where did you get all that intell?" Kallen asked.

"I had a little help with that. The one I received it from, he was shut a great help with the info. Why he was practically on his knees the whole time begging me to get it over with." Lelouch said and chuckled darkly.

Kallen didn't know who they just allied themselves with, but she certainly hoped it wasn't the devil.


	7. Ch 7-Belly of the Beast

Pendragon.

"We are facing the greatest crisis in the past decade!"

"Not surprising since it is you Lord Brackwood are one of those least affected by it, one might say it's to convenient for it to not be rehearsed!"

"That's a very fine accusation lord Bracken, considering that your business have been targeted the least of us all, mine included!"

Clovis stopped the recording of the past meeting there and then, turning back to Schneizell he massaged his temples as he felt a headache coming on.

"It's been like this for weeks now, strategic attacks that have affected one company, but left its rival intact, half of the nobles in Area 11 are at the other's throats."

Mount Fuji, Six families of Kyoto.

"Strategic strike and thefts, new companies springing over the past few months to fill in the gaps that come from the economic war being waged currently, it's also spreading towards the mainland. Whoever is behind this is growing and no one seems to be able to stop him." Kirihara said to his other 6 heads of Kyoto.

Narita Mountain Base.

"There have been black market purchases of specific equipment that can be modified to create industrial scale ordnance both for civilian and military use, along with massive defection from the lesser groups of resistance and a rumor amongst the various cells that a new one is rising. Based on their lack of military strikes against the Empire this group seems to be taking their time until they are all properly trained that' my assumption based on the current intel we have." Todoh reported to Katase as the JLA key officers where holding a meeting.

Kusakabe stood up then and there and opened his mouth to contribute to the conversation.

"However….."

Japan, Area 11 command centre.

"The new power broker in town doesn't appear to be a friend of ours, he hasn't made any moves that are against our government and the kind of things he's doing isn't out of the ordinary for nobles and their power squabbles. But the scale and efficiency with which he is doing it, is at an unprecedented level of efficiency and speed, and he doesn't appear to be backing down."

Jeremiah told his key subordinates, he was currently serving as temporary head of the government in Area 11 until the new viceroy could be sworn in.

"Because of that I suggest….."

Narita.

"We must take this course of action immediately, at the rate whatever is behind this is growing he will be the dominant power in Japan in no time flat. We must act now!" Kusakabe said and a very high number of those present agreed.

"Wait a minute! We must not be hasty in this!" Todoh countered.

Kyoto.

"This conflict is leading to the unification of the various factions within Japan and the mainland, pretty soon the lines there are now will become fewer and fewer until only two are left, then one will emerge dominant and then we are confronted with a united Britannian organization, up until now we have faced a divided nobility, but if they unite in the aftermath of this it could mean the doom of us all." Kaguya Summeragi spoke up to the other 5 heads of Kyoto.

"Therefore I would recommend that our course of action be."

China.

"We must immediately offer sponsorships and economic aid in order to forge future ties of alliance with this new driving force, if it is allowed to grow then it can become a third power to upset the eventual other 2 super groups in Japan and perhaps even the mainland with the way the conflict is spreading there and now."

Li Xingke said to his underlings.

"But my lord…."

Pendragon.

"Sponsor Lelouch against us, forgive me brother, for though I am not up to your level, I am high enough to know that sponsoring our foes is not the best way to defeat them."

"Clovis, the bigger threat of the moment is not Lelouch, but the idea of a unite super corporation of the nobles, we rule the Empire because there is no single house or group strong enough to oppose us, but if this changes than we lose our powerbase, that's why we must sponsor Lelouch, besides you know from past experience that what happens here and now…"

Narita.

"The day after we might need his strength and he ours, we must make every effort to make this new broker our ally and avoid meaningless conflict."

"Words of wisdom Todoh, but let me ask you this, what if this what he wants, what if this is his plan all along for us to intentionally sponsor him and make him stronger, what will he do then, when he no longer needs us? Are we to beg for mercy from him? Are we to bow our heads and serve some stranger we have never met?" Kusakabe countered.

"That I do not know, but what I do know is…."

B.B.C –Area 11.

"I have to be there, I have to be next to whoever is doing all this. From besides him I can properly witness the dawning of a new age, who are you my mysterious and very dangerous hot scoop?" Diethard said as he looked at the dartboard that he had filled with clues.

It read 'New Kid in Town', it showed the gas incident in Shinjuku, a newspaper of the 'Black Weekend' which followed Shinjuku where the stock market went insane, then there was papers detailing thefts from major factories, articles that told of info leaks that uncovered huge financial scandals in the Empire, the fast growth of several dozen of companies that where all under the Umbrella ownership of something called 'Black Corporation'

"Who are you mister Johnny come lately?"

Toky0-Ohgi's apartment.

"Who is he anyway?" I mean the guy just comes out of nowhere and does all of this? I'm glad to be on his side, but I got to ask where does he come from and where is he leading us?" Tamaki said to the gathered group.

"And that Lelouch guy just plain creeps me out, I mean it's like he's not even human? What's the deal with him?"

At that Kallen stood up.

"I'll find out what's the truth about him."

Lancelot research facility.

"Oh what a fine mess this." Lloyd said as he scribed away at the equations for the theory of the Gefjun disturber generators and fine tuned the schematics to the Gawain prototype. Or at least he'd been trying to for the past several weeks now.

"We'll, we will eventually get an answer to all of this.

Pendragon.

Schneizell.

"Then we must take appropriate action for this and try to contact Lelouch."

Kyoto.

Kirihara.

"I'll make the appropriate preparations, but for now we should wait and see how this develops."

Narita.

Todoh.

"We must move cautiously and wisely when dealing with him."

Chinna.

Xingke Li.

"I have a feeling that what he's done up to this point is just been preparation, he's gonna make his next big move soon."

Area 11.

Jeremiah.

"When he does that we will also be prepared to act, but we will chose the lesser of two evils when it come to him."

B.B.C.

Diethard.

"Cause God knows just what he's up to right now."

Ashford Academy

Lelouch was red in the face from anger and pain. Every fiber in his body was on fire, his lungs felt like they were filled with hot lead, his eyesight became blurry as his eyelids closed and his faced contracted in pure rage and despair as he faced his most daunting foe yet and continued to push on, nor because he wanted to, but because he must, because there was no going back from this.

"It's not considered a full pull up until you are actually up Mr Lamperouge, half way doesn't count."

Lelouch pulled with all his strength and did it!

"That's one, nine more to go."

He cursed himself and continued, not because he wanted, but because must, because there was no going back from this.

The teacher was guarding the exit.

Ch 7-Belly of the Beast.

"Damn P.E…..when I win I will make it an optional class! Yes, extra motivation to overthrow the Empire." Lelouch muttered as he struggled to regain his breath, while making his way towards the courtyard to get some fresh air.

He found a bench and sat down on it. It seemed like he could finally get a moments respite.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a moment?" a gentle voice was heard from his right, he turned his head and saw that it was Kallen, only this version of her had her shoulder's and frame fallen down, her breathing was labored and rapid and her eyes and complexion was rather pail.

" _Please don't tell me I am hallucinating from the effort."_ Lelouch mentally thought to himself as he gestured to Kallen to have a seat while he closed his eyes from fatigue.

He then felt a sharp blade being pressed between his 5th and sixth right rib, he opened his eyes and looked at the woman's face, who was not very close to his, her expression and personality now back to how he remember them being.

"Here and now your gonna talk and tell me everything I want to know." Her eyes screamed murder and vengeance.

" _So I am not hallucinating. I'm just held at knife point by a terrorist! Thank you God for small mercies!"_ Lelouch smile in relief and looked back with pure joy and elation at Kallen's face.

This surprised her and made her mind go blank for half a second from shock. That was all Lelouch's needed.

"How did you smuggle a knife in school?"

"It's hidden in my wallet." She replied and concentrated on his face.

That's when he moved his free right hand and placed it over her shoulders, palm to the back of her head as he triggered something.

"And what you are feeling is a sleeve sliding hidden gun that I just activated in my right hand and I am pressing the gun barrel on the base of your cranium, it's a small caliber and I am not much of a soldier or that good of a shot, but at this distance I'm a regular Simo Haya, and that's coming from the man's very own mouth, I actually met him once." Lelouch said and Kallen once more felt that fear, that terror that she had experience when she saw 100 knightmare be reduced to kneel and their pilots to trembling messes before him, using nothing but his words and his presence.

"I'll stab you before you can shoot, and then deflect your arm, I'm faster than you, you said so yourself." Kallen countered keeping her voice fierce and strong, even if her knife hand trembled a little.

Lelouch noticed that and his respect for the red headed woman grew a little.

"To do that you need to go through my uniform jacket, the shirt and the sleeveless undershirt beneath. That's a lot of cloth, too much so that you'd have to retract the knife a few inches to get enough momentum for penetration. Btu if you move your hand, then I move my finger."

Lelouch then leaned in till they where eye to eye, their foreheads touching.

"And you may be fast, but I don't think you are faster than a speeding bullet." Lelouch said and then placed his free left hand on her neck and moved his mouth to her ear.

There and then Shirley was walking in the first floor hallway and as she did so she looked at a passing open window and saw what looked like Lelouch and Kallen kissing and then she what seemed to be him moving to give her love bites on the neck.

"No way!" she said in shock as she dodged away from the window and what she just witnessed.

"Why are you caring a gun in your sleeve." Kallen said, stalling for time, it was the only thing she could do in this situation.

"You think I'd be without a hidden weapon? Even if I wasn't working with rebels, this is Japan, a country filled with war, chaos, corrupt nobles and trigger happy knightmare, you'd have to be crazy to walk on the street and not be packing. But enough about me, let's talk about you, you said something about me answering questions?" Lelouch said, his mouth near her neck.

Kallen could feel his breath on her neck, traveling down her spine, it sent chills of terror down it. She felt her whole body shake and much to her shock she felt her face become warm for some strange reason.

"Y-yes. You just came out of nowhere and you are tearing everything apart, who are you guys? Does your master Zero work for the J.L.A? Are you a Britannian agents? The E.U? China? You are to powerful and resourceful to be operating on your own! Answer me!" Kallen said, bringing strength back into her soul as she moved her free left hand and grabbed Lelouch's head, pulling hard on his hair, if she was going to die, she would die with steel in her eyes and iron in her heart, a true warriors death.

Lelouch gave a pained chuckle at this, he knew he would have to give them some form of the truth, it was why he avoided presenting himself as Zero. This way all the focus would be on the masked man and he was out of the target sight.

"You're gonna have to ask him that yourself." Lelouch said and leaned forward until mouth was now glue to her ear as he whispered to her.

"What?"

"I don't know, I can honestly say that I do not have the 'definite' answer as to who is under that mask. "

"So…then why do you follow him?" Kallen asked feeling a slight emotion of kinship with Lelouch. Who smiled a devilish smile as the poison he was pouring in her ear was starting to work it's effect.

"All I know is that Zero is a means to my goal. And that is vengeance against the Empire." He whispered to her, continuing to manipulate her and make her more trusting and loyal to himself.

"Vengeance? You mentioned that on the train, just what did the Empire do to you?"

"Put down the knife and I'll show you."

"You still have a gun to my head."

Lelouch withdrew his right hand and retracted the pistol.

"Your move Kallen."

The red head hesitated for a moment before slowly withdrawing her blade, which she discovered had sliced his clothes and was not tangled in the cloth.

"What the?"She wiggled to get it out and a yelp of pain escaped Lelouch as the knife cut him superficially.

"Sorry!" Kallen exclaimed, she meant to stab him in the lungs, not lightly graze his skin! She felt horrible now!

"It's fine, just a scratch, though I can't be seen like this by others or the staff, we don't want people asking questions now. Stay glued to me until we can reach the dorms, I have a spare uniform there." Lelouch said and they both got up, bodies pressed together, Lelouch's hand still over her shoulder, Kallen leaning on him to hide the cut and the blood.

From the outside and the view of one girl peaking from the first story window it looked like just another couple on a stroll.

After they moved towards the dorm Rivalz, Milly bumped into him.

"Hey buddy! How've ya, WHAT THE!" Rivalz said in shock, and pointed at them.

"Ho, ho, ho! Looks like Shirley has some competition now, Milly said with a Cheshire cat smirk and lady's laugh."

"W-what! We're not dating or anything!"Kallen said, now red in the face.

"She's a new potential recruit for the student council, she needs extra curriculum activities and this one is less demanding, so I thought to introduce her to you all. This is Kallen."

"A pleasure to meet you Miss Kallen." A soft and gentle voice was heard from behind them.

Kallen turned around and saw that it was small blind girl in a wheelchair being pushed forward by a Japanese maid.

"Kallen, this is Nunnally, my sister. "

"Once more it's a pleasure to meet you Miss Kallen."

"L-likewise." The Japanese rebel replied and looked at the little girl in shock, she remembered Lelouch talking how Japan wasn't the only one place that suffered under Britannia, looking at Nunnally Kallen saw that her legs where to developed for her to have been born disabled and that there where slight burn scars across her eyes. Kallen turned back to Lelouch and looked into his eyes.

There and then she had her answer as to what this boy wanted, why he became what he was now. She recognized that look from whenever she gazed in the mirror.

"Are you joining the student council miss Kallen?"

"Yeah." Kallen looked back at Nunnally and smiled." I wasn't sure before but now, now it think that I can work with your brother." She turned her head back towards him and looked him in the eye.

"We have a lot in common and now I know that whatever he does, he does it with the best of intentions." She added and Lelouch gave a nod of the head at that.

"We'll be back in a few minutes, there's a little something we have to take care of and then we will discuss the details." Lelouch told them and turned himself and Kallen back towards the dorms. Leaving behind a snickering Rivalz and Milly.

"I thought you said my knife couldn't cut your clothes without momentum." Kallen whispered to him.

"So did I." Lelouch bent down and whispered back in her ear causing the girl to giggle.

Back at the group that they just left Nunnally frown in disapproval.

First having miss C.C in his bed every night and now Miss Kallen too!

Her brother was a beast!

Lelouch's phone vibrated just as he finished treating his cut and replacing a uniform.

"Moshi-moshi." Kallen heard him say as she waited for him outside the dorm supply closet to change clothes.

"Understood! Kallen get in here now!"

She obeyed and entered the closed with him.

"Clothes off now!"

"WHAT!" she exclaimed beet red before he tossed a bundle of civilian clothes at her.

"Just got an emergency call from Ohgi, we need to meet up and point 3, we can't be seen in school clothes." Lelouch said and quickly started to change from his uniform.

Kallen breathed a sigh of relief before following suite.

"What happened?"

"Cave 21 is being attacked."

"So Clovis has found us then."

"It's not Clovis attacking Kallen."

"What? Then who?" She asked

"Don't know yet, but I do know that it's not Clovis."Lelouch turned towards her and showed her the picture that Ohgi sent him on the phone of the attackers.

"Cause Clovis's forces don't carry the flag of Japan on their tanks."


	8. Ch 8-Come into my house…

Ch 8-Come into my house….

Kallen.

"All units start protocol B21, prepare for phase one in 15 minutes and counting." Zero ordered from next to her as they both looked down towards the foot of the hill where the attackers had surrounded the hill they where currently on.

Cave 21 had a secret entrance that they had used to sneak in past the encirclement and now…now Kallen had to fight her own people.

"Why are they attacking?" She asked Zero, Lelouch had disappeared after receiving a phone call from him before Zero joined her.

"When can ask them latter." Zero said to a worried Kallen. She couldn't tell by courtesy of his mask, but underneath it Zero was grinning.

" _About time they came, I've been waiting for almost two weeks for them to attack. Now then since thieves are coming to steal what's ours we should call the police."_ Zero said as reached inside his inner coat pocket and started sending a text message to his next puppet in this play of his.

Todoh.

"What do you mean the first and second battalions have been mobilized?"

"Just like I said Todoh-san, they've been mobilized this morning." Asahina said to his commander.

"That damned Kusakabe, give word for a general meeting, I'll get approval from General Katase and we will strike down that fool."

Todoh ordered and along with his four holy swords they made their way towards the central meeting room, as they entered from one door another group came forward.

It was Colonel Kusakabe.

"What's the emergency?" he asked as Todoh's eyes widened in horror as the realization of just who was leading the attack struck him.

Suzaku.

"All units hold formation and continue on with artillery fire, I repeat you are to hold and answer only to counter attacks, no advancing." The voice of Jeremiah was heard over the radio as Suzaku looked over the tactical map inside the Lancelot.

Barely two hours ago he had gotten a message from Lelouch of what was happening, 20 minutes later the order was given for general mobilization and in less than an hour Lord Jeremiah had mobilized a whole army corps, moved it 50 miles and had completely surrounded what looked like to be a massive rebel force that was surrounding Cave 21 where they had leaked the false info that they were keeping the captured equipment from Shinjuku there.

It was bait for another trap that would weaken both the resistance and the Empire, bring both Lelouch and himself closer to their goals with as little bloodshed as possible.

At least that was the plan, but Jeremiah was not taking the bait.

"He can smell it's an ambush, that's why he's only laying siege." Suzaku muttered to himself as his radio came to life.

"All units prepare to charge!"

"Delay that order! All units hold the encirclement! Major Kewell explain yourself!"

"What's there to explain? We charge and smash the terrorists, plain and simple."

"My orders are to hold the encirclement, the intel we received had lead us to a target that's too good to be true, it must be some kind of trap and if they are the same group from Shinjuku-"

"As if they could replicate that! Are you afraid of these little yellow monkeys Lord Jeremiah, then stay behind and watch as real knights fight!" The vice leader of the Purists said to their leader and once more gave the order to attack.

The Purist faction, who believed that only Brittannians should have any rights in the Empire, who now controlled all the key positions in the military, minus their leader Jeremiah now started to charge, along with the majority of the frames and tanks in their unit.

"Task force 1, 2, 3 and 4 hold your position, I repeat hold your position!" Jeremiah bellowed out.

Suzaku could see that most of them where not complying, only the squad under Major Viletta Nu kept back and curiously the squadrons that were stationed around the Lancelot.

"Hey Captain Picton, get your forces on the move!" the knightmare frame of Major Kewell said as it was piloted in front of the Lancelot's trailer, right in front of Captain Picton's frame.

The commander of this knightmare frame battalion said nothing, he merely turned his robot head towards the Lancelot's open trailer and looked directly at Suzaku's knightmare.

One by one the other pilots did the same until all of the group was waiting for him to make the first move.

" _Wait a minute, this is the very same battalion that was in Shinjuku when the steam spell went off!"_ Suzaku realized as he stared at the veritable warband that had subconsciously selected the Lancelot as their chieftain.

"I guess might does make right." Suzaku muttered as Kewell wheeled his frame before the trailer.

"What are you waiting for Lancelot?"

"Colonel Jeremiah has given the order for us to hold." Suzaku replied.

"What? You too? Is every man here afraid of a bunch of savages with ancient weaponry? "

"Colonel Jeremiah has given the order for us to hold." Suzaku repeated himself and the angered Purist redirected his frame and went back to lead the charge.

"I can't stand people like him, but there are moments when I am glad they exist. Suzaku said and gave out a coded text message to Lelouch.

Kallen.

"Initiate phase 1." Zero ordered and just like in Shinjuku a great cloud of dust, steam and ash engulfed the attacking rebel factions and the Brittannian forces that charge forward, the ones that stayed within the original siege encirclement where not affected.

It was not a great a victory as Zero envisioned, but it was better than nothing or so Zero supposed.

"Start broadcasting surrender instructions over the loud speakers for the Japanese to surrender to the mountain base, prepare our own knightmare frames to advance to recover the disabled tanks and frames."

"Won't that make us vulnerable to the Imperial reserves?" Ohgi asked from behind him.

"The cloud originated from around our hill and because of the terrain and wind factors will dissipate starting from the base of the hill and outwards away from it. We will have a window of opportunity before it fully dissipates to retrieve the frames.

"What about that white frame from Shinjuku?" Tamaki asked.

"Initiate phase 2." Zero ordered.

Jeremiah.

"Heavy enemy artillery has been concentrated on the Northern flank, looks like they are gonna try to break trough there." Viletta gave the reported to her leader as her cupped his face in his chin.

"What does he take me for, some green lieutenant out of the academy? Have Picton move half his forces to the North, the rest along with the Lancelot are to remain in reserve."

Kallen.

"Not bad. Not bad at all. His original tactic was flawless; his counter to my move is crystal. Jeremiah Gottwald, I can see why you are this land's temporary Viceroy." The red haired rebel heard Zero complement their foe as one by one Ohgi lead the retrieval squads to capture the now abandoned frames and tanks, carefully matching pace with the pattern of the dissipating gass.

"How much time has passed since this battle began?" Zero asked.

"About two hours, I'd say we have about 30 minutes till the gass dissipates enough for the Empire to counter-attack." Kallen replied ." _Is this the same gass we stole and lost in Shinjuku? No, that was a nerve gass, this one disables machinery and doesn't strike at the brain, it chokes you to death. Where did he get something like this from? Suzaku and Lelouch both vary themselves like people born into the ruling class, just like my father's business partners, and since that makes Zero a leader amongst leaders and someone who can afford allies from within Brittannia, judging by Lelouch's presence, Zero is either a very powerful man or is sponsored by one. Maybe he's a member of the Six Houses of Kyoto, that would explain why he covers his face, can't have his identity compromised if any of us is captured."_

She thought to herself as Zero caressed his fingers over what looked like a piece from a chess set.

"It's about time to withdraw, initiate phase 3 and have phase 4 on standby." Zero ordered and she made her way towards her frame, she didn't know who Zero was, but that could wait for now, there was an Empire to fight, the rest was of secondary nature at the moment.

Suzaku.

"All reserve units head to point G8, the northern bombardment was a distraction. Lancelot and Viletta squadron are to remain in reserve."

"Yes my lord." Suzaku replied and gave cursed internally; Lord Jeremiah was smart enough not commit all his troops towards where the shelling had shifted. If this continued then Lelouch won't have any window of escape, up until now it had been just an artillery duel, no frames or tanks tad been deployed and casualties where down to only non fatal wounds with only 1 death, the battle was technically still a skirmish and not a true fight, but if it came down to that, then everything would escalate to a real fight, Suzaku would have to kill the rebels, normally he wouldn't have a problem with that, but if he unknowingly got Lelouch…he didn't….he couldn't….he hoped everything would be fine.

His phone vibrated there and then.

Lelouch had sent him a text message.

"Phase 3 and 4 non manageable, initiating phase 5." Suzaku read out as a massive explosion rang out from the Cave.

"The damned terrorists blew themselves up!" a voice on the radio said.

A small mushroom cloud of ash and dust rose from the hill, in the wake of the explosion, the ground trembled and upon seeing the great cloud of destruction where his best friend had been a moment ago Suzaku Kururugi did the only thing he was capable at the moment.

He smiled.

Kallen.

Phase 5 had come and gone, above them a controlled directional explosion had been detonated in order to mask the smaller one that had been triggered deep within the cave and blew up its end, making a rocky and uneven but eventual way outside, Kallen was the first one to exit in, seeing that all was clear she gave the ok signal and the rest of the convoy exited one by one trough the newly formed cave exit.

Looking over her red frames shoulder she could see the small mushroom cloud that was several miles away from their position, it had been rigged with enough fuel to burn for at least two days, by then they would be long gone.

"When the last of the convoy and war prizes pass trough demolish the cave exit, no sense in making it easy for them to figure out we are still alive."Zero said to her, he was perched on the right shoulder of her frame as they supervised the convoy.

She opened the cockpit of her frame and looked at him.

"Zero."

"Yes Kallen?"

"Which House of Kyoto do you belong to?"

Zero paused for a moment, turning his gaze towards Kallen. He seemed to be pondering something before shaking his head for a moment.

"None of them. I'm not a member of the Six Houses."

"But then….are you from the exiled government?"

"No."

"But then….then that must mean…." "Kallen!" Zero interrupted her.

"Does it really matter where I come from? You come from a Brittannian family, does that matter?"

"I'm not Brittannian; I'm Japanese!"

"You have the blood of both Kallen, do not be ashamed or deny what you are, for all their faults Brittannia has never lost a war in the past century, has never been conquered or humbled, it's government and royal family is horrendous, but it's people…..It is a fine people Kallen, strong, resourceful, smart and cunning, you don't get to rule a third of the globe without that Kallen. The country is rotten, but those living there have the potential to be both great and terrible both a hero and a villain, don't judge someone by their background Kallen, that's what they do." Zero said and leaned towards her.

She bowed her head at that, hot tears started to form in her eyes.

"I can't see them as that Zero, after all they took, after all they done, all I see is monsters and every time I look in the mirror I see the face of a people that have ravaged my country, that I am part of those barbarians, that I have the blood of savages inside me."

"I used to think the same way." Zero said, stopping her tears and train of thought, she raised her gaze back towards him, and followed as he was gazing towards the mushroom cloud.

"I once considered that one country where I spent my childhood was filled with nothing but warmongering savages, that used all their wealth in influence to control other countries. My own homeland was the next on their list, it was eat or be eaten, then I travelled there and I discovered that I had been right." Zero turned his gaze back towards her, his face was still hidden behind the mask, but somehow she could feel his eyes upon her own, gazing into her very soul.

"But I was also wrong. There I met the one that would be my only true companion, the one whom my life I would gladly give to protect and he the same to me. For every foe there was friend, for every barbarian there was an ally, for every though of hate there was kindness."

"But how can I….then what's the answer to…how do I…..."

"What makes you think I have an answer, what makes you think there is one? All you can do is make a choice as best as you can, and try to steer yourself in the right direction. Life is complicated and unexpected." Zero replied and looked towards the heavens.

Night was falling and the stars where coming out.

Suzaku.

"Lord Jeremiah would like to have a word with you." An aide told him as he was dismounting the Lancelot.

Lelouch.

He was now able to find a moment of solitude in this maddening day, and for now he could focus on decoding the mystery of the artifacts.

They were everywhere, some hidden beneath the ground, others for sale in flea markets and shops, some he even found in several garbage dumps.

The current one he was using was a rectangular crystal like device that displayed various charts, lists, walls of ancient texts and so on and so forth. It would be the Holy Grail of his collection, a veritable fountain of ancient knowledge, if he could only read what was on the dammed thing!

"I really need to get someone to decipher this." Lelouch said in exasperation as he continued to press an arrow symbol and the text continued to change.

At one point he found what looked like to be a tower like graphic like the ones used in sports tourneys.

But unlike them, it also had a side branch that extended from the one at the top.

This was not a tourney bracket, it was the schematic of a chain of command. This was the one that informed of the commanders of the army from where the artifacts came from or at least one of them.

Lelouch pressed the middle ones before the top position, the ones that showed the direct subordinates of the commander.

There were 7 in all.

One of them was a great giant tarantula creature that was clutching a thick book that reminded Lelouch of a priest with a bible, another one was of a creature formed of a hundreds if not thousands of bee like insects, the next one was a giant insect in itself! Next to it was a centaur, a humanoid turtle like creature with great tusks in its mouth. A centaur, a real centaur followed and then a honest to god Werewolf creature!

The exiled prince though he seem them all, until he clicked on the next one and saw that it was a velociraptor like dinosaur…..who had a lollipop in his mouth! After that there was a figure that looked it could pass for a human, except for the extra set of arms that extended from his fram.

Lelouch clicked the icon that showed the one that was most likely the chief of staff, and saw that it was a great eagle humanoid creature, that looked like a big giant chicken with frazzled feathers!

"Dear God! They had Chicken Boo as a staff officer? No wonder they are all extinct now!" Lelouch said trying to knock himself back to reality, then after he felt the pain and realized that this was reality he clicked again, this time on the icon of the commander of this force.

Lelouch looked at the one that could command all these creatures and realized there and then, just by seeing his picture why this one and this one alone was in charge.

"Looks like things where as different back then as they are now, but in truth the more things change the more they stay the same." He said as he gazed at picture again. The man had the gaze of a conqueror, a warlord, and a man who had been lying all his life. But the two blazing red eyes and blue skin of the man that commanded this ancient army perfectly transmitted the power and charisma that this warrior from an era that was millennia apart from the present, on why he and he alone ruled.

"Life truly was very complicated and very unexpected.

P.S

Author's note.

I would like to officially disclaim now that this is a fusion fic with one of my other works, that is an Original Story of mine, the idea in the fanfic is that the ancient past of Code Geass is the present in my other story.

Sorry if any of you feel betrayed that I didn't put this at the front, but the story wasn't originally going to be a fusion fic with my work, it just started to veer off around chapter 5 and by now I feel that I should disclaim it now out of respect for my readers.

I thank you and hope you continue to enjoy my work.


	9. Ch 9-Said the Spider…

Ch 9-Said the Spider….

Suzaku.

The temporary Viceroy starred at him from behind his desk, to the right was Lord Kewell and the rest of the Purist faction, minus Viletta who was standing behind Lord Jeremiah.

"Lieutenant Suzaku Kururugi reporting in." He said and saluted.

"What? Bad enough they give our top weapon to a damned number, but they also make him an officer?" Kewell said, not bothering to conceal his anger or hatred, behind Suzaku Captain Picton and the other officers of his battalion unit stiffened but said nothing, they where well disciplined Britannian troops and so was Suzaku, he only slightly raised his chin in irritation at the comment but said nothing, he too was well disciplined.

"Oh? Did I offend your feelings eleven? Do you prefer I call you an Honorary Britannian then?"

"I am not an Honorary Brittannian my lord." Suzaku said.

"What?" Kewell and the rest of the Purists faction where surprised and confused by this.

"I am a have been made citizen of the Empire my lord."

"Who the hell would make you a citizen?" Kewell demanded angrily.

"Earl Asplundh was the one who sponsored my papers my lord."

"Looney Lloyd gave you a kick up? For what? What the hell could a damn yellow monkey like you do to be given that?"

"For my recovery of about 80% of Captain Picton's heavy equipment in Shinjuku was the reason for his Earl Aspundh's sponsor my lord." Suzaku said under a mask of calmness as Kewell frothed at the mouth, he was about to retort and give more slurs.

"Why did you not join the charge?" Jeremiah said before the Major could rant on.

"You gave us orders to hold until further notice my lord."

At that Lord Gottwald leaned forward and asked his next question.

"Why are you here? Someone like you do good working for 'others', why did you join the military Kururugi?"

"I want to become a Knight of Rounds my lord." This made everyone in the room do a double take in shock, all where left speechless, except for Jeremiah who asked his third question.

"And how do you propose to accomplish that?"

"By following orders and earning great victories." Suzaku replied with a straight face as Jeremiah got up from behind his desk, his face scrunched in anger as he made his way towards him until the two where inches apart.

Jeremiah leaned forward, his breath heavy, and frothing with rage as he leaned down, raised his right hand and pointed it right into Suzaku's face.

"And that's why you earn the citizenship! More discipline in a foreigner then there is in the entirety of the most prestigious military organization in this whole god-forsaken land!" Jeremiah said and turned his gaze to the Purist factions before stomping back to his desk.

"Today we have deployed more than ¾ of the forces of available to guard Tokyo and this island of Japan and with that we have lost over 347 frames, tanks, guns, trucks to…to whoever this new force is, that's enough to actually turn them into a legitimate threat to our dominance in the Area and all of this could have been avoided….I want everyone to leave this instant, I will deal with you all latter."

Suzaku saluted and turned to leave.

"Not you Kururugi, you stay." And Suzaku complied, Captain Picton gave him a nod of the head and so did the other officers, technically he was the lowest ranking one of them, but in practice they looked to him for guidance, it was Brittannians policy that the weak follow the strong and since he was now technically a full Brittannian, well they at the very least had no qualms.

"You could do well for yourself in the terrorist camp, given your skills, you could become a prominent figure there, so tell me Suzaku Kururugi, why do you serve the Empire that has enslaved your country?" Jeremiah said and placed his pistol on the desk between them.

Suzaku stood at attention, not even bothering to eye the gun, death was an old friend of his and so was suspicion and distrusts for him.

"To help my people, my lord."

"You would help your people by serving its oppressors?"

"I would help them by achieving high rank and power in the Empire, if I rise high enough I can return their rights legally."

"You could do the same with a successful rebellion." Jeremiah said and eyed him carefully.

Suzaku looked into the man's eyes for a moment, he was no great liar and if Lord Gottwald wanted he could have him killed regardless of his answer, so there was no reason not to be honest, he only hope Lelouch would forgive him for getting himself killed if he said the wrong answer.

"Britannia is too strong for that, any rebellion is doomed to fail, also…also, I remember the invasion, any rebellion successful or not would cost a lot of blood….too much blood….There is no point in achieving something if your means leaves nothing but pain and suffering behind."

"So, would you are choosing the less bloody and most practical way to your goal?" Jeremiah asked.

"Yes my lord." Suzaku replied, and at that Lord Gottwald extended his right hand, grabbing the pistol.

Suzaku closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable, but it never came, instead he heard the sound of glass touching the desk.

The Japanese boy opened his eyes and saw that Jeremiah had taken out a glass of brandy and was pouring it into two glasses.

"I was saving this for a special occasion, I suppose I will have to settle for drinking it with a proper soldier." He said and gestured for Suzaku to take one of the glasses.

Suzaku complied and after a moment's hesitation downed the whole thing in one gulp.

"Ha! That's the mark of a general!" Jeremiah laughed and also downed his drink.

"If only I had a hundred like you I could smash every damned rebel this country. If we had a thousand we could march to the Forbidden City and Beijing and burn both of them to the ground! But that's not how the world works, the good and honorable get passed over or die, the wicket and unworthy rise. Even our own Empire is plagued with this, sometimes I think the royal family is the only worthy souls in the whole land, thank God for them, otherwise I don't know where we would be." Jeremiah said and refilled their glasses.

"I hope you know that it will be next to impossible to get enough power for what you intend to do. You'd have to be the Knight of One to achieve that, let alone join the Rounds, it's almost impossible for someone not from a noble family to have enough pull for that."

"Yes my lord…."Suzaku hesitated for a moment, wondering if he was pushing his luck to far, but fortune does favor the bold, so he risked it. "But it has been done before, there was a commoner with enough skill and courage, who managed to rise to the very top of power within the Empire."

"Lady Marianne." Jeremiah said, his face gave out a sigh of longing, his frame relaxed and his eyes became tinted with a distant melancholy of better times, or happier times.

"Nowhere there has been or will there ever be a more valiant warrior than her, nor will there ever be a soul more nobler than hers. Out of all the ladies of the land, she was the most worthy of all to be Queen, so it's no wonder that she was cut down." Jeremiah said and took a swing of brandy.

"She was a great woman, I saw recordings of her, was she your hero my lord?"

"More than that, she was my liege. My first assignment was to be a guard at Aries Villa, six months I spent with her Kururugi. Before that, like the rest of the nobility I thought that she was just some up jumped commoner, some whore that climbed her way in bed to the top. Then I saw her in battle, I realized just how wrong I was, then I met her, with only a few words she touched my soul like no other, it was like a hero of the old stories given mortal flesh had manifested before me. She became my hero, my idol, my liege, my everything, I would have gladly given my life for her Kururugi….And I failed to do that…." Jeremiah downed the drink and poured himself another.

"She died on my watch Kururugi, I went to bed one night and the next day she was gone. Her two children where then taken here as hostages. Then the news struck us that they too died during the invasion. Fighting Spirit of the Land of the Rising Sun, blood of the ancient Samurai. Monopoly on Sakuradite. All that talk, all that military power and they couldn't even keep two children alive…. After that…after that I transferred here hoping to find the bodies of Prince Lelouch and Princess Nunnally, get them home to the mainland, have them rest besides their mother, but no, almost a decade has past and nothing…..I hate this land Kururugi, I hate it cause it cost so many so much and all for nothing, I joined the Purists so I could make them all pay for what they did, make this land bleed for its crimes. Could it be I was wrong? Could I have been wrong all these years, is there no way for me do for once do my duty, to for once do the right thing?"

At that Suzaku got up all of a sudden, startling Jeremiah and shacking him out of his tipsiness from the spirits.

Suzaku walked towards the door, peaked outside to see if the hall was vacant, he then closed it and walked back to the desk.

"Lord Jeremiah…..I know where they are buried." Suzaku said, starling the Purist leader.

"What are you talking about boy?" The Lord's eyes narrowed as he gazed at Suzaku.

"I was there where they were kept as hostages. I know where they are?"

Jeremiah quickly grabbed him by the collar and pulled him till they where face to face.

"If you knew it then why didn't you say anything all these years?"

"They where my friends my lords, I was afraid that if I told them they would desecrate the graves. Lelouch told me his mother had been hated, I was afraid to give it to her enemies."

Jeremiah let go of his grip on Suzaku's collar, but he continued to glare at the young boy.

"If I find out you are lying Kururugi, you'll be wishing Kewell was in charge of your punishment. Come one let's go." Gottwald said and got up from the desk.

"Bu-but my lord it's nighttime and you have drunk quite a lot of brandy."

"You are a Lieutenant now Kururugi, if you can't drive with half a bottle of brandy inside you, than how the hell do you expect to make it past Captain, let alone became a Rounds! Come on, we'll take a knightmare each." Jeremiah said and a half an hour later they were both driving across a pitch black field towards wherever Suzaku was leading him.

Jeremiah

Jeremiah's Glasgow frame was right behind the Lancelot, as he continued to somehow keep up with a more advance frame, with little difficulty, the young Lord considered what was happening.

More than likely this was a setup for something, a trap by the other factions in the Empire, by the terrorists, by whoever was the new powerhouse in Area 11.

It could be that everything was real, that Suzaku really was leading him to the graves. But Jeremiah was a veteran of not just many battles, but also countless court intrigues, he now had a sixth sense when it came to people trying to trick him and he felt that rotten feeling in his gut right now.

But honestly he didn't care, his career had been one failure after the other. Prince Clovis, his latest sponsor had run back to the mainland in disgrace, making his political future uncertain and most likely at an end, along with his military career. He himself had been powerless to stop the rise of this new shadowy power broker.

Whoever it was that he was about to meet, it would most likely result in the end of him.

So be it then!

Death before dishonor and better to die than be disgraced.

He would have a clean death, a warrior's death in battle, and not fade away to obscurity and regrets.

And if it really was the location of the graves, then this would be the one good thing he would do with his life before his career ended.

One way or another this was the end for the old Jeremiah Gottwald.

"We're here." Kururugi said and stopped the Lancelot, he then dismounted the frame and started walking towards s small hill with Stepstones carved into it, one that upon looking up, they all lead to a small shrine.

Not just any shrine, but the same one where the two royals had been housed before the war.

The Kururugi shrine.

"All this time, right under my nose. I looked all over the country for something that was right in front of me." Jeremiah said in disbelief as he starred wide eyed at what was before him.

"Shall we go my lord?" Suzaku asked from next to him, Jeremiah nodded and they both climbed the steps.

When they finally reached the top Jeremiah noticed that despite it being nighttime, the shrine was not abandoned, before them stood a figure that was wearing a strange mask and a black cloak.

The figure placed to hands on his mask, removing it slowly, once it was down he placed a finger on the mouth cloth that covered the rest of his face and revealed what was beneath.

Jeremiah starred into those eyes as his breath left his body, his knees gave away and tears streamed down his cheeks.

The face was not so distinct enough as to give it away, but the eyes, those eyes said everything. Jeremiah could recognize those eyes anywhere, he remembered them from all those years ago as they gazed at him from the one person that he admired with all his heart, now they stared at him once more, through the eyes of her son.

"Prince….Lelouch, you live!"

Jeremiah said as from atop another peak, staring down at them a Chinese man with headphones followed what was going on with interest.

Things where about to become very entertaining indeed.


	10. Ch 10-To the fly

Ch 10-To the fly.

Lelouch.

It had taken all of his willpower not to yell at Suzaku over the phone after he had contacted him and told him of his bonehead idea of bringing in the current Viceroy and head of the military into their fold.

Said idea wasn't awful in itself, but when a Japanese boy says that it would be a good idea to have a man that leads a specifically anti-Japanese organization join them, and only after one conversation which was in itself done while said man had consumed considerable amounts of alcohol, well….

"They find me, they always find me….."Lelouch muttered under his breath lamenting that his dear friend, like many other great individuals that where great, were also dangerously close to being complete and utter maddening morons and always from the same act, which could lead to both results.

"Jeremiah Gottwald, I remember few things from the past that are pleasant memories, but I do recall how my mother's guard was the epitome of chivalry and dedication to her, I also recall how you where all absent that day, tell me who was it that give you the command." Lelouch said as his right and left hand gently touched his sword and pistol hidden by his cape, ready to strike if need be, or if he just didn't like the answer.

"Yes my lord, it was….it was the Lady Marianne who gave the order for us to leave the palace the night before it all happened." Jeremiah said as remorse filled his voice.

Lelouch's eyes went wide in surprise.

"Do you have any evidence of that?" Lelouch said as he gripped the gun, anger pouring into him at the gall of this man, to say to Suzaku that he was dedicated to his mother, yet to so blatantly shift the blame for the lack of guards on her that night, squarely on her shoulders.

"I do my lord, back then our squad had recorders installed in our breast pockets for enhanced security, if I may." Jeremiah said and Lelouch gave a nod.

" _Your highness we beg of you! At least allow one squad here to guard your royal person!"_

Lelouch heard the youthful, but recognizable voice of Jeremiah from the small recorder; the Margrave had pulled from his pocket.

" _Didn't Nelly give you my orders?"_

The exiled prince's heart stopped for a moment at that, his breath left his lungs, his knees became weaker, it had been more than ten years since he had heard her voice, ten years of nothing but memories and shadows to fill the void, and there it was, a lost part of his mother, returned from the void of time.

" _She did your highness, but we beg of you to allow us to remain by your side!"_

" _Now, now Lieutenant I can take care of myself, I am quite capable of that. Or are you refusing an order from your Empress?"_

" _N-No your highness! I would never!"_

" _Calm down, calm down, I was just teasing you, but really I'll be fine, just do what you where told! Honestly , that V.V better have good reason to…."_ The second half of his mother sentence had been spoken at a much lower and more bitter and annoyed volume, she must have half mumbled, half ranted to herself.

The tape stopped there and then.

Lelouch looked at it in disbelief, Suzaku was shocked, Jeremiah simply stared it in bitter regret.

"That last part has haunted me most of all. That name, V.V, whoever he was, he was the person that Lady Marianne met with that night, the last one to see her alive…"

"The one who killed her." Lelouch finished for him as he felt anger gripping his soul once more.

"Yes my lord. I immediately started searching for any clues to that name, but everywhere I went there was a dead end. It was like chasing a ghost, the Princess Cornelia did so as well, but she fared little better, after that I put my investigation on hold after I the war for Sakuradite started, but when I heard that you and Princess Nunnally had both perished…..it was clear to me that who was behind all of this, directly or indirectly….." Jeremiah's eyes started to tear up, his voice fell, he simply could not bring himself to voice the conclusion he arrived at.

"The Emperor. He's the only one who could cover this up to such an extent. The only one who could have this carried out in Arries Villa, the very beating heart of Pendragon, the centre of Imperial power. The place that took everything from me, who declared me dead and gone…But now I am back."

Lelouch's angry voice had taken the taint of demonhood, unsettling even Suzaku, but when he said the last part Jeremiah's eyes stopped their tears, his head rose from the ground, his gaze looked the young man before him.

"You…Suzaku, Suzaku Kururugi…..as in Genbu Kururugi?" Jeremiah turned to him and the Japanese gave a nod of the head.

"Your return, the rise of the new power broker, the change of the terrorist form, the chaos. It was all you! You have come back, to avenge the lady and take the throne!" Jeremiah said in elation, never in his wildest dreams had he witnessed such a scene.

"Revenge for mother? Yes! Take the throne? No!"

Gottwald's eyes widened in shock, Lelouch was pleased at the horror that he inspired in this Brittannian nobleman's eyes.

"I come here not to rule, but to shatter. Not to conquer, but to destroy! Everything, anything, all will burn! The corrupt society, the rotten government, the insanity that has gripped, I will destroy the Empire that took my mother and sister from me, I will break it down, I will burnt them all!"

Lelouch said as he slowly made his way towards Jeremiah until he was finally face to face with the kneeling man.

"Burn it all? Your highness I would have followed your mother into hell itself, I would have followed your, her son into it as well, but now that you come to tell my of your plans." Jeremiah quickly stood up from where he kneeled, Suzaku gripped his own pistol, Lelouch made for his sword, but the attack never came.

Instead Jeremiah stood erect, had over his heart, shoulder straight, chin up.

"I would support you even if your weren't the son of our great Lady Marianne! I humbly request to join your crusade against the Empire and to finally bring justice to the land."

"W-what?" Lelouch said in disbelief at the Brittannian, the Brittannian nobleman who just pledged himself to help destroy the Empire.

"Your mother was the best of us all. If even she could fall to wickedness then what hope does the rest of us have, I want to avenge him my lord. I want to make it so that the worthy are no longer cut down, that the chivalrous are not fell by the craven and that virtue is not usurped by sin! If you would have me, it would be my duty, an honor and a privilege to serve!"

Lelouch could only stare in astonishment at the man before him. Everything seemed so simple before, Brittannia was the enemy, Japan was where he would gather his army.

But just like what he told Kallen only a few short hours ago that felt like days if not weeks past, nothing was ever so simple in war or in life.

"If you wish to commit high treason against everything and anything that the Empire stands for, then I say to you welcome Jeremiah Gottwald."

"I thank you my lord…No! I thank you my liege!" Jeremiah said and kneeled down.

"A pact!" Suzaku bellowed out all of a sudden.

"We are ain't a holy place, we must make a pact so that the heavens will bless our cause! I pledge to fight so that no longer will the innocent suffer, so that no longer cruelty, blood, tears and pain will be the way of the world!" Suzaku said and thrust forward his palm.

"I pledge that no longer will the weak be prey for the strong, that cruelty and hatred will no longer reign. But kindness and compassion shall be our kind and queen!" Lelouch said and placed his palm over Suzaku's.

Not missing a beat Jeremiah quickly placed his own over theirs.

"I pledged that no more will the worthy die and the godless reign. That no more will villain reign instead of heroes, that our great country will be the home of the greatest men and women in the world! That the worthy, that the best and brightest will live, prosper and rule us all!"

"A new world where all can live in happiness!" Lelouch said.

"With liberty!" Suzaku added.

"And justice for all." Jeremiah ended their oath.

As all of a sudden the ground before them became ablaze with light, it shock, making them loose their balance as the hard floor of the Kururugi shrine revealed itself to the an elevator that started to slowly descend.

"Lelouch, the sword!" Suzaku said and gestured to the sword and the disk that where now pulsating with glowing energy, the same one as the descending elevator.

It continued its way down into darkness, down into the abyss.

Then it stopped.

It stopped and the trio found itself engulfed by darkness, the fading light of the elevator being their only means to see around them.

"What is happening my liege?" Jeremiah said to Lelouch as the former prince drew the broken blade from its holster.

"Sam thing as you witnessed before Jeremiah. Same thing as I said to you only a few moments ago." Lelouch said as he held up the sword, which was more than a sword, closed his eyes an concentrated.

"What was once though dead and forgotten, now has returned!"

Lelouch said as he let his mind go blank, let his instinct take over and a wave of energy pulsated away from the sword.

All around them the dark cavern was lit by light that streamed from what could only be described as small suns, levitating all around the vast underground cave.

Which wasn't a cave at all, for as the light vanquished the darkness shapes and sizes, both familiar and foreign where witnessed by the 3 men.

"W-what? This is…..this is….."

"An ancient bunker Jeremiah, created by a long lost civilization, now found once more!" Lelouch said as they gazed at the rows and rows of age old armor, beasts of war, ancient magical constructions that sprang to life after their long slumber.

"But why now? Why did it awaken, why us? Why ?"

"The shrine." Lelouch answered Suzaku's enquiry . "Shrines, temples, churches, all are built on holy sites! And what could be more holy that this!" Lelouch said and gestured to what seemed to be endless rows of weapons, armors, vehicles, that all sprang to life.

"Our ancestors must have considered this place holy, since it was locked up by whoever built this, when we were up we must have triggered the unlocking mechanism !" Jeremiah said starring at a suite of armor that seemed to the bare eye to be nothing different from its brethren found in museums all around the world, but as he got closer he could feel, he could feel something beyond sound, touch, smell, eyesight or even taste wash over him. A sort of sixed sensation that showed him this ancient armor was powerful, he almost felt like when he stood before the first battle worthy Glasgow that was finally good enough to be placed into combat, the sensation of a new power that would shake the world's foundation.

"At it is all ours!" Lelouch said and laughed with glee as he held up the broken sword in triumph, as a cell phone started to ring throughout the ancient base.

One that belonged to Suzaku.

The Japanese boy took his phone out of his pocked, much to the surprise of both Lelouch and Jeremiah, it really was a very odd time for someone to call another.

"Yes.." Suzaku said and a moment latter his eyes widened in shock as he slowly removed the phone from his ear and gave it to Lelouch.

"It's for you." Suzaku said fearfully.

Lelouch took it hesitantly, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, massaged his forehead in preparation for who could be on the other end. There was but a handful who could be calling him by means of Suzaku, and Lelouch was seldom wrong.

"Hello Mr Kirihara." Lelouch said jovially.

"I'm afraid that's a point against you little brother." The voice of Schneizell was heard from the other line.

Which just goes to show you that even a prince made mistakes from time to time.

"You can't even pay for entertainment like this." Mao said from his viewpoint as he munched on a pizza.


	11. Ch 11-Remember, remember

Ch 11-Remember, remember.

"Silence little brother? It's a bit late for that, you just confirm a moment ago that you are the one on the other line." Schneizell said as on the other end of the phone Lelouch continued to not utter a single word. He merely continued to listen in silence.

"Well until you decide to answer I must say I must comment you on the anti tracking software you have in Lt Kururugi's phone, it was a long shot in using him to find you, but when I saw the trackers on the Lancelot which was piloted by the son of old Genbu, last prime minster of Japan and the frame belonging to the acting Viceroy, indicate that both where going to a remote location I knew that there was where you were also present. Our efforts to track the phone signal are not going smoothly, currently you seem to either be in a small shrubbery store in Worchester if the tracker is any indication, though the trackers on frames are very functional."

Many miles around them, the hidden troops started to deploy in the field, they were smuggled into the country in total secrecy, not even Jeremiah was told of them, but their purpose was clear, and namely to apprehend the fallen Prince of the Empire.

As the troops surrounded the shrine, Suzaku looked at the roof of the strange magical elevator that lead directly to them and was a small enough drop that ropes could be used. Lelouch continued to remain silent.

"My lord, we are 30 meters from the target!" captain Morison of the commando task force reported to Schneizell trough a phone that was connected to an ear piece that the White Prince of Brittannia had in the one that wasn't used to talk on the phone with Lelouch.

"We've passed the Lancelot!" the captain said as his troops were a skip and a hop's distance away from the tip of the shrine.

Schneizell smirked, Suzaku drew his pistol, Lelouch continued to remain silent as Jeremiah charged both boys, tackling them and pinning them to the ground.

"We've reached the location. No one's here! The shrine is empty!" Morison reported to a surprised Schneizell.

Down bellow in the now sealed bunker Lelouch and Suzaku looked towards the roof where the platform had returned to its initial position.

Suzaku and Lelouch looked back to Jeremiah, who had tackled them a moment ago, forcing them off the platform, whom a moment latter raised itself back to its initial position.

Jeremiah then gestured to his military badge and then to the platform, silently telling them that the system despite it being born millennia was at its heart a military one and he had recognizes that there was a chance the descending platform was automated and weigh triggered, that was why he had tackled the two, in order to gamble that it would go back up and conceal their position from their pursuers.

The two where god smacked at this, it had just occurred to them both that Jeremiah was a Colonel, a top frame pilot and the most influential politician in Japan, he was by no means a fool or unwise, here and now he showed that although he may be a poor man's version of Lelouch's level of cunning or Suzaku's skill as a pilot, that still made him a great man, a mighty warrior and a cunning leader.

For as Suzaku was deprived of his frame and Lelouch was still to shocked to respond it had fallen on Jeremiah, the only one that was able to keep a level head to fight their foes, from his own knowledge of commando protocols and knowing his older brother Lelouch estimated that at least several squads of troops had been deployed, each one an elite soldier.

What was in itself a force of hundreds lead by Captain Morison had faced three unarmed and defenseless men, but since Jeremiah Gottwald was the one leading there and then, the army of lions lead by a sheep was unable to overcome the small flock of three lead by a lion.

There and then Lelouch truly realize what a great asset Jeremiah was, he gave a nod of approval, to which the Margrave beamed in pride as he gave a slight bow of the head, his continued silence was also a point in his favor, showing he knew when to show restrain, as well as keep his mouth shut.

"I must say this is….unexpected, but not surprising, I did mentor you when you where younger, I must say you have taken my lessons to heart, I am very proud of you my apprentice." Schneizell replied as still silence reigned from the other line, time continued to pass this way, enough for Lelouch to get over his shock, enough for him to respond, but he continued to keep silent.

"Allright then…." Schneizell said as he let out a tired breath. "No more games, Lelouch….. I know you have reason to…to hate us, but despite it all we are still your family, I know that I cannot ask you to forget the past, but…can we at least attempt to patch things up, I'm not asking for much, just…..just a chance." The white prince said, dropping his mask that he wore more often than not and spoke from the heart, it was rarer than an eclipse, but it happened there and then. A prince of the Empire was honest for a moment.

"Fifth of November."

The reply finally came from the other end.

For a moment Schneizell was confused and uncertain of what he just heard, then he figured it out and closed his eyes is pain and sorrow and for once he meant them.

"Remember, remember the 5th of November. The gunpowder treason and plot. I see no reason, for the gunpowder treason to ever be forgot. So, that's your answer then…In that case I mus-" "WAIT!"

Another voice was heard and Lelouch's blood run cold, for he recognized that voice, he could face Schneizell, Cornelia, Clovis, any minion of the Emperor or even Charles himself, but that voice, it was the one thing that he was not prepared.

"Lelouch, it's me. It's Euphie." Euphemia said as she took the phone away from Schneizell and talked to the brother she thought dead.

"When I heard that you may be alive, I couldn't believe it, my heart soared to the thought that we hadn't lost you, I missed you dearly brother, are you allright, are you healthy? I'm sorry if sound like an old granny, but you did always tire first when we played in the gardens, do you remember the gardens Lelouch? How we ran through the maze playing tag, trying to catch each other and still make it first to the other end, where the statues of the muses lay just before the entrance to the lake." Euphemia said and gripped her phone besides her Schneizell and Cornelia both starred at her in hope and dread of what was to come of this.

"Where we would all take branches from the great weeping willow and use them as rods and cakes we stuffed in our pockets from dessert as bait to fish for salmon. There never was salmon in the lake, or any other fish for that matter and the branches where useless as rods, the bait melted away in seconds and became useless, we all knew that, but we didn't care, to us there was salmon in the pond and we where the mighty fishermen bringing in the great catch of the season."

Lelouch replied from the other side as tears filled up in Euphemia's eyes, tears of joy that inside of them man on the other end, there still lay her brother, deep down he was still the Lelouch that she grew up with, played with, got into troubled with, there was still hope!

"Yes! So you do remember then."

"I never forgot. There is now a single thing in the past that I have ever forgotten…..Euphemia vi Brittannia, daughter of Charles vi Brittannia." The little boy now disappeared and the stranger returned, the stranger engulfed in hatred and vengeance, the one who lost his mother and it fate was cruel, also his sister and their sister as well.

"You hate father…I cannot say I do not understand why, but….do you have us as well Lelouch? If there really nothing but that in your heart for us? For me?"

"After all that has happened, what else can there be?" Lelouch said, more of a question for Euphemia, than an answer for him.

"I don't believe you, if that were true, then why…..why did you spare Clovi's life?"

"We all make mistakes I suppose." Came the cold reply that almost made Euphemia's heart stop in shock. The way it was said, without an ounce of hesitation or remorse, the tears in her eyes now became bitter, bitter for the horrid fate that Lelouch bore and the creature it had led him to become.

"Would it matter if I told you that we had nothing to do with the Lady Marianne's death."

"I know you have nothing to do with it."

That shocked Euphemia to the core, the tears stopped, Schneizell and Cornelia who had been following the conversation trough head pieces also froze in surprise.

"I know for a fact that neither your, nor Schneizell nor Cornelia was responsible, for at the time none of you had enough power to pull it off, I know for certain that her killer is someone called V.V, and he is directly in cahoots with the Emperor. He was the only one who could and would cover it up, him or someone who is the his trusted right or left hand could only have done, what happened that day in Aries Villa."

"Where is he!? Where is the blackheart!" Cornelia suddenly jumped from her seat and shouted at the phone, it was still in Euphie's grip, but it was loud enough that Lelouch heard it and couldn't help but smirk as he laid eyes on Jeremiah.

COULDN'T TALK,….AFRAID OF INFORMING THOSE INVOLVED….MAKING ANY CHANCE OF JUSTICE BE LOST.

Jeremiah wrote down on a small note book and showed it to Lelouch, who gave him a thumbs up for his wisdom and added a few more points to his assertion of his newest allies worth.

"I'm afraid that's all I know, but since as you remember Cornelia, mother was the one who ordered you and the guard away, I'd start with checking everyone that has ever had contact with the Emperor in his lifetime, I'd pay attention to the dead ones first, dead people have a tendency to pop up very much alive when it suits them or when they receive unwanted phone calls." Lelouch said and gave out a small chuckle, which was greeted by one a small guffaw from Schneizell, Euphie and even Cornelia.

"Then….then if you know that, will you be-" "No." Lelouch cut Euphie off coldly, Cornelia, Suzaku, Schneizell and Jeremiah all hold their breath at that, as above them the Imperial troops continued their sweep of the shrine.

"But…why?"

"I was there that day…that day of summer when everything went insane. I saw the bombers come over the horizon, I witnessed the attack, the fire, the fury, the screams….For you all they are just dots on a map or reports handed in by staff officers, but I saw them at first hand….and when it was over, we made our way forward, dragging our feet across fields filled with bodies of men, women, children, babies."

The Imperial siblings all turned their heads at that, they all knew what he was talking about, none of them denied or try to deny it, it was the way of the empire, it was the way of the world. But above all that it was the consequences of their own actions, they and they alone where responsible for what was to come.

"Even if…..even if you are innocent of what happened to mother, even if you did not abandon me and Nunnally…..things can never be as they were. I saw what the Imperial army can do first hand, the same Imperial army that you Cornelia 'Witch of Brittannia' have lead to do to many other countries, I felt how the Empire extended it's iron grip and bloody hand to all corner of the globe, all under your leadership Schneizell White Prince, you oh great Prime Minister, praised for killing and enslaving so many, all for the bounty of so few, and Clovis, who I'm guessing is not even in the room right now, I lived under Clovis, I though the invasion was the very worst it could get, over ten years for then have passed and I witnessed how things kept getting worst and worst under his reign, Japan was better off when the war was going on, at least then for a while the people still had some measure of a life to live, a drop of hope for the future to nurture them and a way to the afterlife nearby to comfort them."

They say God does not punish with the rod.

Well there and then the three siblings found out that some of it was true, for their actions of the past came back to haunt them, and it was in the form of their own brother that Nemesis decided to be birthed into this world.

"But…besides being his child…..…I can think of no crime that you have committed against me or any nation Euphemia."

But the Greek Gods where dead and gone, as was shown by the fact that despite it all Lelouch for some reason, unknown to them or even himself extended this final courtesy to them.

Hope flared inside Euphemia, as did some inside Cornelia and Schneizell.

"Then….then, do you…..is there…..can you….."

"I….might have unfairly treated your deeds. Cornelia has lead the army, but….but thinking back on her records she has the lowest percentage of casualties of military an civilians on both sides during her conflicts than any of your military peers. Schneizell I confess that your methods, ruthless as they are, are both efficient and the most practical of any options that could have been chosen, if anything you did less harm than others would."

Joy now reigned amongst the tree, maybe there still was a way, maybe the past was beyond their reach, but perhaps they could still have a future.

"And…..Clovis?" Euphemia asked in bathed breath.

"I was there in Shinjuku when he ordered the massacre…there where about 20 terrorist for a district populated by over 300.000….you tell me what can be said about that, go ahead tell me…. Euphie."

Lelouch's words cup deep and struck hard, but his aim was true. Painful but true.

"I don't know how to respond to that Lelouch, I don't know what the answer is, I don't even know what to say next." Euphie said as she gripped the phone in pain and sorrow, the tears coming back to her. Her brother Clovis, her gentle and sweet brother was a monster plain and simple. There was no denying that.

"I suppose that makes two of us." Lelouch said and smiled, a true smile for the first time in years, on the other side of the phone the trio did so as well. This was good, things could be better, but they could be worse, it was not a reconciliation or forgiveness,, but a start.

Maybe, this could lead to some king of understating in the future. It was a fragile start but a start. But would it be enough?

That was the questions posed in that moment of silence.

The answer to the above came there and the, as Lelouch heard the small chiming of a door opening and closing on the other end of the line.

Someone else had entered the room.

It was there and then that Lelouch could hear how the phone shuffled hands once more, who would be next?

What else could the universe throw into his way to make things any more muddied, any more uncertain?

"Hello Lelouch."

The voice of Charles di Brittannia, 98th Emperor provided the answer.


End file.
